SynthesisHealth promotion international2020
Blue care: a systematic review of blue space interventions for health and wellbeing.
Synthesis in Health promotion international, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 103 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of Nature-based Exercise on Post-traumatic Growth Among People With Post-traumatic Stress: A Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial Designed to Observe Psychophysiological Alterations Before to After Intervention
e-Natureza Blue Care - Impact of Virtual Reality on Pain Perception, Mood States, and Analgesic Use in Patients With Cancer Pain: Randomized Clinical Trial.
Who cites it
103 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Nature-based interventions: a systematic review of reviews.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Surf therapy for people with mental health disorders: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Nature's Role in Outdoor Therapies: An Umbrella Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Mechanisms of Impact of Blue Spaces on Human Health: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Thriving Through Stressful Life Events with Nature: A Mixed-Method Study on Tending Indoor Plants and Rumination Resilience.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Trial
- Gender Differences in Psychological Outcomes Following Surf versus Hike Therapy among U.S. Service Members.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Trial
- A randomized controlled trial of surf and hike therapy for U.S. active duty service members with major depressive disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Beach safety as a family affair: exploring the role of parents on young adolescents' knowledge, bathing risk perceptions, and behaviours.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Barriers and facilitators to implementing the European code of cancer practice in a rural and coastal setting: a qualitative study.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026Article
- Surfing Across Life Domains: A Qualitative Study on the Role of Leisure Activities in Occupational Well-Being.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Urban aquatic ecosystems for human health and well-being - a scoping review.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Racial and economic disparities in coastal access and engagement mediate the ocean's contribution to human wellbeing.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Understanding the nature-wellbeing relationship in adults: a qualitative metasynthesis review.Wellbeing, space and society · 2026Review
- Interconnected environments and the mental health of young people in Aotearoa New Zealand: a longitudinal geospatial study.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Testing nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory: a research programme protocol.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- "Phoenix Rising": A scoping review on the impacts of dragon boating exercise on well-being among breast cancer survivors and factors affecting their participation.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2026Review
- Short-term effects of a 12-week Zumba program on thyroid and cardiometabolic markers in overweight/obese postmenopausal women: A randomized pilot study.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2026Article
- Swimming classes as campus blue space: a qualitative study of emotion regulation, social support and psychological resilience among university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Youth perceptions of urban waterfront environments for stress relief: a social media text analysis study in Beijing.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
43 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the potential use of outdoor water environments, or blue space, in the promotion of human health and wellbeing. However, therapeutic nature-based practices are currently outpacing policy and the evidence base for health or wellbeing benefits of therapeutic interventions within blue space has not been systematically assessed. This systematic review aims to address the gap in understanding the impacts of blue space within existing interventions for targeted individuals. A systematic review was carried out, searching Google Scholar, SCOPUS, PubMed, etc. through to August 2017. Only blue space interventions were included that were specifically designed and structured with a therapeutic purpose for individuals with a defined need and did not include nature-based promotion projects or casual recreation in the outdoors. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed. Overall, the studies suggest that blue care can have direct benefit for health, especially mental health and psycho-social wellbeing. The majority of papers found a positive or weak association between blue care and health and wellbeing indicators. There was also some evidence for greater social connectedness during and after interventions, but results were inconsistent and mixed across studies with very few findings for physical health. This is the first systematic review of the literature on blue care. In summary, it has been shown that mental health, especially psycho-social wellbeing, can be improved with investment in blue spaces. Key areas for future research include improving understanding of the mechanisms through which blue care can improve public health promotion.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.