The Effects of Different Natural Environment Influences on Health and Psychological Well-Being of People: A Case Study in Selangor
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Urban Natural Area as Restorative Environments
1.2. Objectives
1.3. The Hypotheses of the Study
- We anticipated that urban green corridors would vary in terms of their restorative quality, with urban forested areas being more restorative than urban parks.
- We hypothesised that after the experiment, all dependent variables (restorative outcome scale, positive affect, and mood states) would demonstrate more significant depression, stress, and anxiety relief in the urban landscape area than in the urban green corridor (control).
- We foresaw a significant reduction in the negative mood states and effects in urban parks and urban-forested areas.
2. Methods
2.1. Study Sites
2.2. Sample
2.3. Experimental Design
2.3.1. Timing of the Experiment
2.3.2. Recruitment
2.3.3. Materials of This Study
Psychological Measures
Experimental Procedure
2.3.4. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Psychological Results
3.1.1. Participants’ Self-Reported on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)
3.1.2. Participants’ Self-Reported on Profile of Mood States (POMS)
3.1.3. Participants’ Self-Reported on Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
3.1.4. Participants’ self-reported on Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS)
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Edwards, J.; Goldie, I.; Elliott, I.; Breedvelt, J.; Chakkalackal, L.; Foye, U.; Kirk-Smith, A.; Smith, J.; Yanakieva, S.; Bashir, Z.; et al. Fundamental Factors about Mental Health; Mental Health Foundation: London, UK, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Kohli, H.S.; Sharma, A.; Sood, A. Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century; SAGE Publications India: New Delhi, India, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Ratanasiripong, P.; Kaewboonchoo, O.; Bell, E.; Haigh, C.; Susilowati, I.; Isahak, M.; Low, W.Y. Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Small and Medium Enterprise Workers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Int. J. Occup. Health Public Health Nurs. 2016, 3, 2053–2377. [Google Scholar]
- O’Súilleabháin, P.S.; Hughes, B.M.; Oommen, A.M.; Joshi, L.; Cunningham, S. Vulnerability to stress: Personality facet of vulnerability is associated with cardiovascular adaptation to recurring stress. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 2019, 144, 34–39. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Hirsch, J.K.; Smalley, K.B.; Selby-Nelson, E.M.; Hamel-Lambert, J.M.; Rosmann, M.R.; Barnes, T.A.; Abrahamson, D.; Meit, S.S.; GreyWolf, I.; Beckmann, S.; et al. Psychosocial Impact of Fracking: A Review of the Literature on the Mental Health Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict. 2018, 16, 1–15. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hanafiah, N.; Van Bortel, T. A qualitative exploration of the perspectives of mental health professionals on stigma and discrimination of mental illness in Malaysia. Int. J. Ment. Health Syst. 2015, 9, 1–12. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Wyles, K.J.; White, M.P.; Hattam, C.; Pahl, S.; King, H.; Austen, M. Are some natural environments more psychologically beneficial than others? The importance of type and quality on connectedness to nature and psychological restoration. Environ. Behav. 2019, 51, 111–143. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Song, C.; Ikei, H.; Igarashi, M.; Takagaki, M.; Miyazaki, Y. Physiological and psychological effects of a walk in urban parks in fall. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 14216–14228. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Doroski, D.A.; Felson, A.J.; Bradford, M.; Ashton, M.P.; Oldfield, E.E.; Hallett, R.A.; Kuebbing, S.E. Factors driving natural regeneration beneath a planted urban forest. Urban For. Urban Green. 2018, 29, 238–247. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Groffman, P.M.; Cadenasso, M.L.; Cavender-Bares, J.; Childers, D.L.; Grimm, N.B.; Grove, J.M.; Hobbie, S.E.; Hutyra, L.R.; Jenerette, G.D.; McPhearson, T.; et al. Moving towards a new urban systems science. Ecosystems 2017, 20, 38–43. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Konijnendijk, C.C.; Annerstedt, M.; Nielsen, A.B.; Maruthaveeran, S. Benefits of Urban Parks—A Systematic Review; IFPRA: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Benedict, M.A.; McMahon, E.T. Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities; Island press: Washington, DC, USA, 2012. [Google Scholar]
- Repke, M.A.; Berry, M.S.; Conway, L.G.; Metcalf, A.; Hensen, R.M.; Phelan, C. How does nature exposure make people healthier?: Evidence for the role of impulsivity and expanded space perception. PLoS ONE 2018, 13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Deng, L.; Li, X.; Luo, H.; Fu, E.-K.; Ma, J.; Sun, L.-X.; Huang, Z.; Cai, S.-Z.; Jia, Y. Empirical study of landscape types, landscape elements and landscape components of the urban park promoting physiological and psychological restoration. Urban For. Urban Green. 2020, 48. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ulrich, R.S. Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment. In Behavior and the Natural Environment; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 1983; pp. 85–125. [Google Scholar]
- Kaplan, R.; Kaplan, S. The Experience of Nature A Psychological Perspective The Right of THE Cambridge University Press Cambridge New York Port Chester Melbourne Sydney. 1989. Available online: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7l80AAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Kaplan,+R.,+%26+Kaplan,+S.+ (accessed on 21 October 2020).
- Ulrich, R.S. Aesthetic and Affective Response to Natural Environment Design Guidelines View project Healthcare Architecture View Project; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 1983; pp. 85–125. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Glacken, C. Traces on the Rhodian Shore: Nature and Culture in Western Thought from Ancient Times to the End of the Eighteenth Century (Vol.170); University of California Press: Oakland, CA, USA, 1967. [Google Scholar]
- Berto, R. The Role of Nature in Coping with Psycho-Physiological Stress: A Literature Review on Restorativeness, Behavioral Sciences. Behav. Sci. 2014, 4, 394–409. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Hansen, M.M.; Jones, R.; Tocchini, K. Shinrin-yoku (Forest bathing) and nature therapy: A state-of-the-art review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 851. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Keniger, L.E.; Gaston, K.J.; Irvine, K.N.; Fuller, R.A. What are the benefits of interacting with nature? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 913–935. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Gao, T.; Zhang, T.; Zhu, L.; Gao, Y.; Qiu, L. Exploring psychophysiological restoration and individual preference in the different environments based on virtual reality. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 3102. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Ojala, A.; Korpela, K.; Tyrväinen, L.; Tiittanen, P.; Lanki, T. Restorative effects of urban green environments and the role of urban-nature orientedness and noise sensitivity: A field experiment. Health Place 2019, 55, 59–70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Coldwell, D.F.; Evans, K.L. Visits to urban green-space and the countryside associate with different components of mental well-being and are better predictors than perceived or actual local urbanisation intensity. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2017, 175, 114–122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tsai, W.-L.; McHale, M.R.; Jennings, V.; Marquet, O.; Hipp, J.A.; Leung, Y.-F.; Floyd, M.F. Relationships between characteristics of urban green land cover and mental health in U.S. metropolitan areas. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 340. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Zhang, S.; Zhou, W. Recreational visits to urban parks and factors affecting park visits: Evidence from geotagged social media data. Landsc. Urban Plan 2018, 180, 27–35. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wood, E.; Harsant, A.; Dallimer, M.; de Chavez, A.C.; McEachan, R.R.C.; Hassall, C. Not all green space is created equal: Biodiversity predicts psychological restorative benefits from urban green space. Front. Psychol. 2018, 9, 2320. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Sreetheran, M. Exploring the urban park use, preference and behaviours among the residents of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Urban For. Urban Green. 2017, 25, 85–93. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kanniah, K.D. Quantifying green cover change for sustainable urban planning: A case of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Urban For. Urban Green. 2017, 27, 287–304. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Harris, B.; Larson, L.; Ogletree, S. Different views from the 606: Examining the impacts of an urban greenway on crime in Chicago. Environ. Behav. 2018, 50, 56–85. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Simkin, J.; Ojala, A.; Tyrväinen, L. Restorative effects of mature and young commercial forests, pristine old-growth forest and urban recreation forest—A field experiment. Urban For. Urban Green. 2020, 48, 126567. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dzhambov, A.M.; Markevych, I.; Lercher, P. Greenspace seems protective of both high and low blood pressure among residents of an Alpine valley. Environ. Int. 2018, 121, 443–452. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Li, R.; Chen, G.; Jiao, A.; Lu, Y.; Guo, Y.; Li, S.; Wang, C.; Xiang, H. Residential green and blue spaces and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A population-based health study in China. Toxics 2021, 9, 11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Hassan, A.; Tao, J.; Li, G.; Jiang, M.; Aii, L.; Zhihui, J.; Zongfang, L.; Qibing, C. Effects of walking in bamboo forest and city environments on brainwave activity in young adults. Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med. 2018. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dondzila, C.J.; Gennuso, K.P.; Swartz, A.M.; Tarima, S.; Lenz, E.K.; Stein, S.S.; Kohl, R.J.; Strath, S.J. Dose-response walking activity and physical function in older adults. J. Aging Phys. Act. 2015, 23, 194–199. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Altavilla, G.; D’Elia, F.; Raiola, G. A brief review of the effects of physical activity in subjects with cardiovascular disease: An interpretative key. Sport Mont. 2018, 16, 103–106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kabisch, N.; Püffel, C.; Masztalerz, O.; Hemmerling, J.; Kraemer, R. Physiological and psychological effects of visits to different urban green and street environments in older people: A field experiment in a dense inner-city area. Landsc. Urban Plan 2021, 207, 103998. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Moore, T.H.; Kesten, J.M.; López-López, J.A.; Ijaz, S.; McAleenan, A.; Richards, A.; Gray, S.; Savović, J.; Audrey, S. The effects of changes to the built environment on the mental health and well-being of adults: Systematic review. Health Place 2018, 53, 237–257. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Watson, D.; Clark, L.A.; Tellegen, A. Development and Validation of Brief Measures of Positive and Negative Affect: The PANAS Scales. 1988. Available online: https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/54/6/1063.html?uid=1988-31508-001 (accessed on 21 October 2020).
- Elsadek, M.; Liu, B.; Xie, J. Window view and relaxation: Viewing green space from a high-rise estate improves urban dwellers’ wellbeing. Urban For. Urban Green. 2020, 55, 126846. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bielinis, E.; Takayama, N.; Boiko, S.; Omelan, A.; Bielinis, L. The effect of winter forest bathing on psychological relaxation of young Polish adults. Urban For. Urban Green. 2018, 29, 276–283. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hartig, T.; Evans, G.W.; Jamner, L.D.; Davis, D.S.; Gärling, T. Tracking restoration in natural and urban field settings. J. Environ. Psychol. 2003, 23, 109–123. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Korpela, K.M.; Ylén, M.; Tyrväinen, L.; Silvennoinen, H. Determinants of restorative experiences in everyday favorite places. Health Place 2008, 14, 636–652. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- McNair, D.M.; Lorr, M. An analysis of mood in neurotics. J. Abnorm. Soc. Psychol. 1964, 69, 620–627. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Elsadek, M.; Liu, B.; Lian, Z.; Xie, J. The influence of urban roadside trees and their physical environment on stress relief measures: A field experiment in Shanghai. Urban For. Urban Green. 2019, 42, 51–60. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Takayama, N.; Saito, H.; Fujiwara, A.; Horiuchi, M. The effect of slight thinning of managed coniferous forest on landscape appreciation and psychological restoration. Prog. Earth Planet. Sci. 2017, 4. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Marselle, M.R.; Irvine, K.N.; Warber, S.L. Walking for well-being: Are group walks in certain types of natural environments better for well-being than group walks in urban environments? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 5603–5628. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Song, C.; Ikei, H.; Park, B.J.; Lee, J.; Kagawa, T.; Miyazaki, Y. Association between the psychological effects of viewing forest landscapes and trait anxiety level. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5479. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Song, C.; Ikei, H.; Park, B.-J.; Lee, J.; Kagawa, T.; Miyazaki, Y. Psychological benefits of walking through forest areas. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2804. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- West, S.T.; Shores, K.A. The impacts of building a greenway on proximate residents physical activity. J. Phys. Act. Health 2011, 8, 1092–1097. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Richards, D.R.; Fung, T.K.; Belcher, R.N.; Edwards, P.J. Differential air temperature cooling performance of urban vegetation types in the tropics. Urban For. Urban Green. 2020, 50, 126651. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Salmond, J.A.; Tadaki, M.; Vardoulakis, S.; Arbuthnott, K.; Coutts, A.; Demuzere, M.; Dirks, K.N.; Heaviside, C.; Lim, S.; Macintyre, H.; et al. Health and climate related ecosystem services provided by street trees in the urban environment. Environ. Health 2016, 15, S36. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Kobayashi, H.; Ikei, H.; Song, C.; Kagawa, T.; Miyazaki, Y. Comparing the impact of forest walking and forest viewing on psychological states. Urban For. Urban Green. 2021, 57, 126920. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ochiai, H.; Ikei, H.; Song, C.; Kobayashi, M.; Miura, T.; Kagawa, T.; Li, Q.; Kumeda, S.; Imai, M.; Miyazaki, Y. Physiological and psychological effects of a forest therapy program on middle-aged females. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 15222–15232. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Lee, H.J.; Son, S. Psychological and Physical Effects of 10 Weeks Urban Forest Therapy Program on Dementia Prevention in Low-Income Elderly Living Alone. J. People Plants, Environ. 2018, 21, 557–564. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
Place | Stress Mean (SD) | Anxiety Mean (SD) | Depression Mean (SD) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before | After | p-Value | Before | After | p-Value | Before | After | p-Value | |
Mutiara Damansara Urban Corridor | 22.95 *** (8.28) | 20.58 *** (9.75) | <0.001 | 18.4 **** (10.65) | 16.38 *** (10.63) | <0.001 | 22.83 **** (8.04) | 20.28 **** (8.62) | <0.001 |
Mutiara Damansara Recreational Park | 22.48 *** (8.37) | 17.6 ** (10.20) | <0.001 | 19.2 **** (10.15) | 15.4 **** (10.76) | <0.001 | 17.85 *** (10.40) | 14.58 *** (10.75) | <0.001 |
Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve | 22.38 *** (8.36) | 10.38 ** (7.71) | <0.001 | 17.98 **** (10.00) | 8.08 ** (7.34) | <0.001 | 16.93 *** (10.96) | 7.55 * (8.06) | <0.001 |
Statements | Mutiara Damansara Urban Corridor | Mutiara Damansara Recreational Park | Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M ± SD | M ± SD | M ± SD | p-value | |
I feel calmer after being here. | 3.39 ± 1.55 | 4.88 ± 1.69 | 5.70 ± 0.86 | <0.001 |
After visiting this place, I always feel restored and relaxed. | 3.46 ± 1.48 | 5.08 ± 1.64 | 5.43 ± 0.79 | <0.001 |
I get new enthusiasm and energy for my everyday routines from here. | 3.23 ± 1.33 | 5.00 ± 1.67 | 5.33 ± 0.85 | <0.001 |
My concentration and alertness increase here. | 3.28 ± 1.53 | 5.20 ± 1.62 | 5.28 ± 1.09 | <0.001 |
I can forget everyday worries here | 3.06 ± 1.50 | 5.11 ± 1.66 | 5.20 ± 1.04 | <0.001 |
Visiting here is a way of clearing and clarifying my thoughts. | 3.41 ± 1.73 | 5.51 ± 1.53 | 5.64 ± 0.82 | <0.001 |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Raman, T.L.; Abdul Aziz, N.A.; Yaakob, S.S.N. The Effects of Different Natural Environment Influences on Health and Psychological Well-Being of People: A Case Study in Selangor. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8597. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158597
Raman TL, Abdul Aziz NA, Yaakob SSN. The Effects of Different Natural Environment Influences on Health and Psychological Well-Being of People: A Case Study in Selangor. Sustainability. 2021; 13(15):8597. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158597
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaman, Thivya Laxshmy, Nor Akmar Abdul Aziz, and Sam Shor Nahar Yaakob. 2021. "The Effects of Different Natural Environment Influences on Health and Psychological Well-Being of People: A Case Study in Selangor" Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8597. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158597
APA StyleRaman, T. L., Abdul Aziz, N. A., & Yaakob, S. S. N. (2021). The Effects of Different Natural Environment Influences on Health and Psychological Well-Being of People: A Case Study in Selangor. Sustainability, 13(15), 8597. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158597