Table 3 Summary of outcomes measures on psychological response of the included studies
From: Effects of forest bathing on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive adults: a review of the literature
Reference/participants | Change in mood states | Change in quality of life (QoL)/anxiety level measures |
|---|---|---|
Types of forest interventions: forest walking | ||
Feng et al., 2017 [41]; hypertensive middle-aged men | NA | NA |
Lee and Lee, 2014 [33]; pre-hypertensive elderly women | NA | NA |
Li et al., 2016 [34]; hypertensive middle-aged men | POMS scores indicated a significant increase in positive feelings (vigor) and a significant decrease in negative feelings (tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue) after forest walking. POMS scores indicated a significant decrease in positive feelings (vigor) and a significant increase in negative feelings of fatigue after urban walking. | NA |
Mao et al., 2012 [23]; hypertensive elderly people | POMS scores indicated a significant increase in positive feelings (vigor) and significant decrease in negative feelings (anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue, anger) after forest walking compared with the baseline. POMS scores indicated a significant decrease in positive feelings (vigor) and no significant increase in negative subscales after urban walking. | NA |
Song et al., 2015 [36];hypertensive middle-aged men | POMS scores were significantly higher for positive feelings (vigor) and significantly lower for negative feelings (anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue, anger) after forest walking than after urban walking. SDM score: Participants felt more “comfortable,” “relaxed,” and “natural” when they walked in a forest area than in an urban area. | NA |
Yu et al., 2017 [45]; pre-hypertensive middle-aged adults and elderly people | POMS score: There was a significant increase in positive feelings (vigor) and a significant decrease in negative feelings (tension anxiety, fatigue, anger, depression, confusion) after forest therapy. | STAI was taken before and after the intervention STAI: State anxiety subscale A decrease in score of 2% represented a significant improvement in anxiety levels |
Zhou et al., 2017 [46]; hypertensive middle-aged men | NA | NA |
Types of forest interventions: sitting and viewing of landscapes in a forest | ||
Song el at., 2017a [35]; hypertensive middle-aged men | SDM: Viewing in a forest area felt more comfortable, relaxed, and natural than in an urban area | NA |
Types of forest interventions: forest walking and viewing of landscape in a forest | ||
Lanki et al., 2017 [22]; pre-hypertensive middle-aged women | NA | NA |
Horiuchi et al., 2015 [32]; hypertensive middle-aged and elderly people | POMS score: There was a significant increase in positive feelings (Vigour) and a significant decrease in negative feelings (tension anxiety, fatigue, anger, depression, confusion) after forest therapy. There were no significant differences between the groups in the pre-forest-walking values of the subscales of the POMS, with the exception of A-H. Forest walking significantly improved the subscales of the POMS in both groups with no statistical differences between the two groups. | NA |
Types of forest interventions: forest therapy program | ||
Ochiai et al., 2015b [42]; hypertensive middle-aged women (n = 6) | SD score: felt more comfortable, relaxed, and natural after forest therapy. POMS score: a significant increase in positive feelings (vigor) and a significant decrease in negative feelings (tension, anxiety, and fatigue) after forest therapy. | |
Ochiai et al., 2015a [24]; Pre-hypertensive middle-aged men | SD score: felt more comfortable, relaxed, and natural after forest therapy. POMS score: a significant increase in positive feelings (vigor) and a significant decrease in negative feelings (tension anxiety, confusion, anger, fatigue, and total mood disturbance) after forest therapy. | NA |
Song et al., 2017b [43]; pre-hypertensive middle-aged adults; HT: n = 9, non-HT: n = 17 | NA | NA |
Sung et al., 2012 [44]; hypertensive elderly people | NA | Quality of life (QoL) scores were obtained at initial visits and at 8-week final visits. MOS SF-36: I, total score increased by 42 compared with the baseline; score increased in PD, MD, HTN by 9, 16, 18, respectively but remained unchanged in SD and GH; C, no change |