Open Collections

Brown, Tara (Tiger)

University of British Columbia

Rapid urbanization in Metro Vancouver, Canada, is reducing access to greenspaces, which is associated with a growing disconnection from nature and exacerbating public health challenges, such as rising rates of non-communicable diseases and declining mental well-being. To address these challenges and a significant gap in Canadian research, this dissertation investigates the Japanese practice of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku), examining the associations between forest bathing and physiological and psychological health outcomes among Metro Vancouver adults, differences between guided and self-guided sessions, and the influence of sociodemographic, environmental, and vegetation factors. This study employed a 2x4 randomized crossover design with a mixed-methods approach. A total of 106 volunteers participated in both guided and self-guided forest bathing sessions across four parks and four seasons. Each participant was randomly assigned to experience both intervention types, with sessions lasting 60 minutes. Data collection included physiological outcomes (heart rate, blood pressure), psychological outcomes (mood states, nature connectedness), qualitative reflections, environmental measurements (e.g., thermal comfort, light levels, sound levels), and vegetation surveys. Results indicated consistent reductions in heart rate across both interventions. However, blood pressure responses varied significantly between the two interventions and individual analyses. Mood states improved, and nature connectedness increased, particularly among participants without prior forest bathing experience, who reported lower baseline nature connection. Environmental analyses revealed that higher plant diversity correlated with improved mood, whereas increased light levels were associated with mood disturbance. Seasonal variations influenced physiological responses, with winter sessions showing elevated cardiovascular reactivity compared to summer. The peri-urban forest with lower ambient sound levels was associated with greater mood improvements compared to urban forest settings, highlighting the importance of natural soundscapes. This dissertation demonstrates significant associations between forest bathing and health outcomes in an urban context while also revealing important demographic and environmental moderators. The findings have implications for public health strategies, park management, and urban planning, particularly in diverse urban contexts. Practical applications include a trail assessment framework, an augmented reality mobile application, and the Silent Trails pilot project in Metro Vancouver Regional Parks.

Text; Moving Image

2025-03-28

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90552

Forestry

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/