Investigating the Qualities of a Recreational Forest
Findings from the Cross-Sectional Hallerwald Case Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15468635 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Renate Cervinka (University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy), Markus Schwab (University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy), Daniela Haluza (0000-0001-5619-2863, Medical University of Vienna, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1676-1676 |
| Publication date | 2020-03-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph17051676 |
| PMID | 32143466 |
| OpenAlex | W3009487519 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 47 |
Prior research shows that forests contribute to human health and well-being. In this sense, this cross-sectional case study, adopting the principles of citizen science, assessed the restorative potential of places in the Hallerwald, an Austrian community forest. A convenience sample of adult forest visitors (n = 99, 64% females) completed a survey during a guided 2.5 h forest tour. The German questionnaire assessed the qualities of defined places in the forest. We also investigated changes in mood states, perceived stress, restoration, connectedness, and mindfulness before and after visiting the forest. In cooperation with a local working group, we developed the new Widen One's Mind (WOM) scale, which showed good scale characteristics. All places received high scores in their potential to increase restoration and vitality and to widen one's mind. Positive affect, restoration, connectedness with nature and the forest, and mindfulness increased pre- versus post-visits, whereas negative affect and perceived stress decreased. The findings of this study suggest that in recreational forests, visitors experience beneficial mental effects such as stress reduction in addition to physical exercise. To facilitate regional development goals, we recommend evaluating places in forests regarding the potential effects on the health and well-being as well as citizen participation before initiating extensive remodeling
Affect (linguistics · Cross-sectional study · Geography · Mental health · Mindfulness · Mood · Perceived Stress Scale · Psychiatry · Recreation · Scale (ratio · Social connectedness · Stress (linguistics · Vitality · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Place Attachment and Urban Studies · Psychology · Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management · Social Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health · Ecology · Gerontology
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| Unique citing works | 11 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,83 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2025 (6) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |