The therapeutic effects of urban walks on healthcare workers: green vs. barren settings
Journal
Landscape and Ecological Engineering
Journal Volume
21
Journal Issue
4
Start Page
729
End Page
744
ISSN
1860-1871
1860-188X
Date Issued
2025-07-07
Author(s)
Abstract
Urban green areas, which provide an opportunity for individuals to interact with nature, have shown a positive impact on human mental health. Particularly, this perspective necessitates attention to the well-being of healthcare workers as they face fatigue, anxiety, and stress. To explore this, a randomized experimental study was conducted with 48 healthcare workers, examining the effects of walking in either green or barren urban settings. Participants undertook three walks over a week in these varied environments, with subsequent assessments of their attentional functioning, mood, and anxiety levels. The study results indicated that compared to walking in a barren urban setting, walking in a green urban setting produced higher scores on attentional functioning and mood and lower scores for anxiety. The green walk treatment had 67% higher attention scores, 60% higher affect scores, and 35% lower anxiety scores than the barren walk. The study underscores the critical role of urban green spaces in promoting mental health, especially for healthcare professionals who are at high risk of stress-related issues. In addition, this study advocates policy reforms aimed at developing and preserving green areas in cities, thereby enhancing the well-being of healthcare workers who are in critical roles. However, this study has limitations, including reliance on self-reported measures, a single-institution sample, and the absence of physiological markers such as heart rate variability or cortisol levels. Additionally, factors such as weather, social interactions, and pre-existing exposure to green spaces were not controlled. Future research should explore long-term effects and incorporate objective health indicators to strengthen findings.
Subjects
Anxiety levels
Healthcare workers
Mood improvement
Stress reduction
Urban setting
Walking
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Type
journal article