Momentary mood response to natural outdoor environments in four European cities

• Exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE) has been shown in population-level studies to reduce anxiety and psychological distress. This study investigated how exposure to one's everyday natural outdoor environments over one week influenced mood among residents of four European cities including Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands) and Kaunas (Lithuania). Participants (n = 368) wore a smartphone equipped with software applications to track location and mood (using mobile ecological momentary assessment (EMA) software), for seven consecutive days. We estimated random-effects ordered logistic regression models to examine the association between mood (positive and negative affect), and exposure to green space, represented by two binary variables indicating exposure versus no exposure to NOE using GPS tracking and satellite and aerial imagery, 10 and 30 min prior to participants’ completing the EMA. Models were adjusted for home city, day of the week, hour of the day, EMA survey type, residential NOE exposure, and sex, age, education level, mental health status and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. In addition, we tested for heterogeneity of effect by city, sex, age, residential NOE exposure and mental health status. Within 10 min of NOE exposure, compared to non-exposure, we found that overall there was a positive relationship with positive affect (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.81) of EMA surveys, and non-significant negative association with negative affect (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.10). When stratifying, associations were consistently found for Stoke-on-Trent inhabitants and men, while findings by age group were inconsistent. Weaker and less consistent associations were found for exposure 30 min prior to EMA. Our findings support increasing evidence of psychological and mental health benefits of exposure to natural outdoor environments, especially among urban populations such as those included in our study. 

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Health and Environmental Health (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Ecological momentary assessment

Green space and health

Mood

Aerial photography

Antennas

Ecology

Housing

mHealth

Random processes

Regression analysis

Satellite imagery

Surveys

Green spaces

Logistic regression models

Outdoor environment

Psychological distress

Socio-economic status

Software applications

Application programs

aerial photograph

environmental effect

GPS

mental health

mobile phone

psychology

software

adult

age distribution

aged

Article

controlled study

educational status

environment

environmental exposure

female

global positioning system

human

Lithuania

logistic regression analysis

male

mobile application

natural outdoor environment

neighborhood

Netherlands

priority journal

sex difference

social status

Spain

United Kingdom

urban population

Barcelona [Barcelona (PRV)]

Barcelona [Catalonia]

Catalonia

Doetinchem

England

Gelderland

Kaunas

Stoke on Trent [England]

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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