Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
There is increasing evidence that the natural environment provides substantial benefits to human emotional well-being. The current study synthesized this body of research using the meta-analysis and assessed the positive and negative effects of exposure to both the natural and built environments. We...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.758457/full |
| _version_ | 1818425858035023872 |
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| author | Wenfei Yao Wenfei Yao Fei Chen Fei Chen San Wang Xiaofeng Zhang |
| author_facet | Wenfei Yao Wenfei Yao Fei Chen Fei Chen San Wang Xiaofeng Zhang |
| author_sort | Wenfei Yao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is increasing evidence that the natural environment provides substantial benefits to human emotional well-being. The current study synthesized this body of research using the meta-analysis and assessed the positive and negative effects of exposure to both the natural and built environments. We searched four databases and 20 studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis results showed the most convincing evidence that exposure to the natural environment could increase positive affect (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.61, 95% CI 0.41, 0.81) and decreased negative affect (SMD = −0.47, 95% CI −0.71, −0.24). However, there was extreme heterogeneity between the studies, and the risk of bias was high. According to the subgroup analysis, study region, study design, mean age of the sample, sample size, and type of natural and built environment were found to be important factors during exposure to the natural environment. The implications of these findings for the existing theory and research are discussed. These findings will help convince the health professionals and policymakers to encourage the residents to increase their time spent in the natural environment. These findings of this systematic review also suggested that the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of accessible greenspaces or existing natural environments may form part of a multidimensional approach to increasing emotional well-being of the local populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:20:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-43903d8f0527430a9332d0ac7b3fc92b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:20:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-43903d8f0527430a9332d0ac7b3fc92b2022-12-21T22:58:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652021-11-01910.3389/fpubh.2021.758457758457Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisWenfei Yao0Wenfei Yao1Fei Chen2Fei Chen3San Wang4Xiaofeng Zhang5Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaInnovation Institute for Sustainable Maritime Architecture Research and Technology (iSMART), Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaDepartment of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaInnovation Institute for Sustainable Maritime Architecture Research and Technology (iSMART), Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaDepartment of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaDepartment of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, ChinaThere is increasing evidence that the natural environment provides substantial benefits to human emotional well-being. The current study synthesized this body of research using the meta-analysis and assessed the positive and negative effects of exposure to both the natural and built environments. We searched four databases and 20 studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis results showed the most convincing evidence that exposure to the natural environment could increase positive affect (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.61, 95% CI 0.41, 0.81) and decreased negative affect (SMD = −0.47, 95% CI −0.71, −0.24). However, there was extreme heterogeneity between the studies, and the risk of bias was high. According to the subgroup analysis, study region, study design, mean age of the sample, sample size, and type of natural and built environment were found to be important factors during exposure to the natural environment. The implications of these findings for the existing theory and research are discussed. These findings will help convince the health professionals and policymakers to encourage the residents to increase their time spent in the natural environment. These findings of this systematic review also suggested that the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of accessible greenspaces or existing natural environments may form part of a multidimensional approach to increasing emotional well-being of the local populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.758457/fullnatural environmentbuilt environmentmeta-analysispositive affect (PA)negative affect (NA) |
| spellingShingle | Wenfei Yao Wenfei Yao Fei Chen Fei Chen San Wang Xiaofeng Zhang Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Frontiers in Public Health natural environment built environment meta-analysis positive affect (PA) negative affect (NA) |
| title | Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_full | Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_short | Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_sort | impact of exposure to natural and built environments on positive and negative affect a systematic review and meta analysis |
| topic | natural environment built environment meta-analysis positive affect (PA) negative affect (NA) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.758457/full |
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