Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

Brief Report

Effects of Forest Therapy on Psychological Improvement in Middle-aged Women in Korea: Bum-Jin Park, Won-Sop Shin, Chang-Seob Shin, Poung-Sik Yeon, Chung-Yeub Chung, Si-Hyung Lee, Dong-Jun Kim, Youn-Hee Kim, Chang-Eun Park; J Prev Med Public Health. 2022;55(5):492-497. Published online September 20, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.22.086

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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Objectives
Women experience more stress in middle age than in other periods of their lives. Therefore, health management programs that enable middle-aged women to cope with and manage stress are needed. This study investigated the psychological effects of a meditation-focused forest therapy program among 53 middle-aged women living in urban areas in Korea.
Methods
Participants were divided into 2 groups: one group underwent the program for 3 days in a forest, followed by 3 days in an urban environment, and the other group underwent the program for 3 days in the urban environment, followed by 3 days in the forest. The psychological effects of the forest therapy program were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States-Brief (POMS-B). Differences in mood state before and after the program conducted in the forest (experimental group) and in the urban environment (control group) were evaluated using the paired-samples t-test.
Results
The program in the forest significantly reduced tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion among the domains of the POMS-B. The program in the urban area significantly reduced tension, but not depression, anger, fatigue, or confusion.
Conclusions
Meditation-focused forest therapy programs are expected to contribute to promoting psychological health and enhancing the quality of life of middle-aged women.

Summary

Korean summary
중년 여성이 건강을 관리할 수 있는 프로그램이 필요하다. 이 연구는 명상 중심의 산림치유 프로그램이 중년 여성의 심리적 건강 증진에 효과적인지 검증하기 위해 프로그램 시행 전후에 참가자의 기분상태(POMS-B)를 측정하여 비교하였다. 결과에 의하면 긴장, 우울, 분노, 피곤, 혼돈이 통계적으로 유의하게 감소하였다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Effect of Anti-Aging Standard Forest Healing Program With Multiple Visits to a Forest Facility on Cognition in Older Age Patients
Jinseok Park, Sheng-Min Wang, Dong Woo Kang, Beom Lee, Hojin Choi
Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders.2024; 23(1): 44. CrossRef
Supporting Wellness, Resilience, and Community With Forest Therapy
Susan A Abookire, Sujata G Ayala, Nancy A Shadick
Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
The Impact of Forest Therapy Programs on Stress Reduction: A Systematic Review
Yawei Zhang, Lu Feng, Wenjie Duan
Forests.2023; 14(9): 1851. CrossRef

Original Article

Low Systolic Blood Pressure and Mortality From All Causes and Vascular Diseases Among Older Middle-aged Men: Korean Veterans Health Study: Sang-Wook Yi, Heechoul Ohrr; J Prev Med Public Health. 2015;48(2):105-110. Published online March 11, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.15.003

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Abstract PDF

Objectives
Recently, low systolic blood pressure (SBP) was found to be associated with an increased risk of death from vascular diseases in a rural elderly population in Korea. However, evidence on the association between low SBP and vascular diseases is scarce. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association between low SBP and mortality from all causes and vascular diseases in older middle-aged Korean men.
Methods
From 2004 to 2010, 94 085 Korean Vietnam War veterans were followed-up for deaths. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model. A stratified analysis was conducted by age at enrollment. SBP was self-reported by a postal survey in 2004.
Results
Among the participants aged 60 and older, the lowest SBP (<90 mmHg) category had an elevated aHR for mortality from all causes (aHR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 3.1) and vascular diseases (International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, I00-I99; aHR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2 to 8.4) compared to those with an SBP of 100 to 119 mmHg. Those with an SBP below 80 mmHg (aHR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 18.8) and those with an SBP of 80 to 89 mmHg (aHR, 3.1; 95% CI, 0.9 to 10.2) also had an increased risk of vascular mortality, compared to those with an SBP of 90 to 119 mmHg. This association was sustained when excluding the first two years of follow-up or preexisting vascular diseases. In men younger than 60 years, the association of low SBP was weaker than that in those aged 60 years or older.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that low SBP (<90 mmHg) may increase vascular mortality in Korean men aged 60 years or older.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Relationship between systolic blood pressure and all-cause mortality: a prospective study in a cohort of Chinese adults
Chunsheng Li, Youren Chen, Qiongbing Zheng, Weiqiang Wu, Zhichao Chen, Lu Song, Shasha An, Zhifang Li, Shuohua Chen, S. L. Wu
BMC Public Health.2018;[Epub] CrossRef
Baseline and longitudinal change in blood pressure and mortality in a Chinese cohort
Jian-Bing Wang, Qiu-Chi Huang, Shu-Chang Hu, Pei-Wen Zheng, Peng Shen, Die Li, Huai-Chu Lu, Xiang Gao, Hong-Bo Lin, Kun Chen
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.2018; 72(12): 1083. CrossRef
Low Systolic Blood Pressure and Vascular Mortality Among More Than 1 Million Korean Adults
Sang-Wook Yi, Yejin Mok, Heechoul Ohrr, Jee-Jeon Yi, Young Duk Yun, Jihwan Park, Sun Ha Jee
Circulation.2016; 133(24): 2381. CrossRef

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