Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31787069›Full record

SynthesisEnvironmental health and preventive medicine2019

Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku): a systematic review.

Ye Wen, Qi Yan, Yangliu Pan, Xinren Gu, Yuanqiu Liu

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Environmental health and preventive medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 74 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
74citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
9.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

74 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 218 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. What Activities in Forests Are Beneficial for Human Health? A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
  8. Effect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
  9. Nature's Role in Outdoor Therapies: An Umbrella Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Trial
  17. Article
  18. Effectiveness of Nature-Based Mindfulness Interventions to Improve Mental Health: A Narrative Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Review
  19. Forest Bathing (Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  20. Article

14 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ye WenCollege of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 ZhiMin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China.
Qi YanCollege of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 ZhiMin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China.
Yangliu PanCollege of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 ZhiMin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China.
Xinren GuCollege of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 ZhiMin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China. Jiujiuyl@163.com.
Yuanqiu LiuCollege of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 ZhiMin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China. Liuyq404@163.com.
Jiangxi Agricultural University · CNJiangxi Academy of Forestry · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 31660230
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThis study focused on the newest evidence of the relationship between forest environmental exposure and human health and assessed the health efficacy of forest bathing on the human body as well as the methodological quality of a single study, aiming to provide scientific guidance for interdisciplinary integration of forestry and medicine.

methodThrough PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, 210 papers from January 1, 2015, to April 1, 2019, were retrieved, and the final 28 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study.

resultThe methodological quality of papers included in the study was assessed quantitatively with the Downs and Black checklist. The methodological quality of papers using randomized controlled trials is significantly higher than that of papers using non-randomized controlled trials (p < 0.05). Papers included in the study were analyzed qualitatively. The results demonstrated that forest bathing activities might have the following merits: remarkably improving cardiovascular function, hemodynamic indexes, neuroendocrine indexes, metabolic indexes, immunity and inflammatory indexes, antioxidant indexes, and electrophysiological indexes; significantly enhancing people's emotional state, attitude, and feelings towards things, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviors; and obvious alleviation of anxiety and depression.

conclusionForest bathing activities may significantly improve people's physical and psychological health. In the future, medical empirical studies of forest bathing should reinforce basic studies and interdisciplinary exchange to enhance the methodological quality of papers while decreasing the risk of bias, thereby raising the grade of paper evidence.

Indexed as

Controlled Clinical Trials as TopicEnvironmental ExposureForestsDepressionHumansMental HealthPhysical FitnessRecreation TherapyForest bathing (Shinrin-yoku)MethodologySystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31787069
PMCPMC6886167
OpenAlexW2990887528

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.