Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
School of Public Health
Department
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Committee Chair
Christiaan Abildso
Committee Member
Brent Bailey
Committee Member
Danielle Davidov
Committee Member
George Kelley
Committee Member
Christa Lilly
Abstract
Background. Nature exposure is beneficial to human health and wellbeing, but the evidence base for nature-based interventions (NBI) is still developing. Heterogeneous naming conventions, study designs, and intervention contexts create difficulty in accessing and assessing the evidence for such programming. While NBI have been utilized in a wide array of human populations, no interventions have been reported among clinical health professions students. Aims. The objectives of this dissertation project were to review the existing body of NBI literature exploring health and wellbeing outcomes, and to conduct a feasibility trial of forest bathing, a type of NBI, among clinical students. Specifically, this study aimed to: (Aim 1) conduct a scoping review to (1) identify the different nomenclature used to define NBI, (2) describe the NBI utilized and the contexts in which they occurred, and (3) describe the methodologies used in studies of NBI; (Aim 2) assess the feasibility of implementing a pilot forest bathing intervention for stress management among clinical health professions students; and (Aim 3) assess the preliminary effectiveness of a pilot forest bathing intervention for stress management among clinical health professions students. Methods. (Aim 1) A scoping review was conducted following a prospectively published protocol and adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global for studies on NBI in humans. Dual independent screening and single-author data abstraction were conducted. (Aims 2 and 3) A single-arm feasibility trial of a six-week forest bathing intervention was conducted. Proctored, self-guided sessions were held on weekday afternoons in a local arboretum. The protocol was prospectively registered and CONSORT reporting guidelines were followed. Participants were clinical students enrolled in a public university in the United States. Aim 2 used qualitative (surveys, focus group, and researcher observation) and quantitative (surveys) methods to assess the feasibility of implementing the program. Aim 3 used quantitative survey data to explore preliminary effectiveness measures: perceived stress, attitudes toward spending time in nature (TSN), self-efficacy TSN, and intentions TSN. Results. (Aim 1) A total of 406 papers comprising 416 reported studies were included. Multi-day programs, repeated short-session programs, and single short-session programs comprised the sample. NBI were reported in 36 countries and published as dissertations and peer-reviewed papers in 160 journals. 155 unique NBI names were reported. (Aim 2) 413 students were invited to participate in the program, and 13 students enrolled. Seven individuals participated in at least one session; of those attending at least once, five (71.4%) attended at least five of the six sessions. Measures and data collection methods were well-received and reliably reported. Interpersonal commitment was a primary facilitator to participation, and time constraints were a key barrier. (Aim 3) Participants reported positive affective impacts during 63.6% (n=21) of sessions, and present stress declined significantly over a single 40-minute session (p=0.0007). Over the course of the study and into follow-up, stress decreased by half of a point on the Perceived Stress-10 scale per week (p=0.0308). Participating enrollees and non-participating enrollees may have differed on baseline perceived stress, baseline positive attitudes TSN, and time spent in nature in the week prior to enrollment. Conclusion. (Aim 1) Taken on the whole, NBI are highly diverse in design and reporting. The field of research would be strengthened by the development of (1) consistent naming conventions and (2) NBI-specific reporting guidelines (i.e., a checklist). (Aims 2 and 3) While recruitment proved challenging in this population, preliminary evidence suggests that forest bathing or other NBI may be acceptable and beneficial for clinical students experiencing stress. Further feasibility work should explore weekend-based NBI programming offering guided activities.
Recommended Citation
Moyers, Samantha I., "Nature Based Interventions for Human Health and Wellbeing" (2023). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11951.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11951
Supplementary File - Excluded Articles
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons, Public Health Commons