ReviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021
Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.
Review in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 232 papers, 14 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
232 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 593 citations in OpenAlex.
- Factors influencing access to green health prescribing in primary care for older adults - a qualitative systematic review.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS Studies on the Psychological Impact of Nature on Well-Being.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Pooled it
- Short-term cardiovascular and mental health responses to Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing): a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of green exercise on mental health in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Community Forests and Public Health: A Research Agenda.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of virtual reality nature effects on higher education students' mental health and wellbeing.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Assessing the Impact of Urban Environments on Mental Health and Perception Using Deep Learning: A Review and Text Mining Analysis.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Does nature-based social prescription improve mental health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- The role of connection with nature in empirical studies with physiological measurements: a systematic literature review.Biologia futura · 2023Pooled it
- The Effects of Outdoor versus Indoor Exercise on Psychological Health, Physical Health, and Physical Activity Behaviour: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- A Mobile Virtual Reality-Based Intervention for Stress Reduction Among Young Adults: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- Associations of park visits, physical activity and health outcomes among churchgoing Latino adults in low-income urban communities.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Trial
- Trial
- A comprehensive evaluation of the health benefits of forest therapy for cancer survivors.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2026Trial
- Influence of visual objects and music on anxiety levels and imaging process in patients undergoing coronary CT angiography.European radiology · 2025Trial
- 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
172 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
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
There is extensive empirical literature on the association between exposure to nature and health. In this narrative review, we discuss the strength of evidence from recent (i.e., the last decade) experimental and observational studies on nature exposure and health, highlighting research on children and youth where possible. We found evidence for associations between nature exposure and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep. Results from experimental studies provide evidence of protective effects of exposure to natural environments on mental health outcomes and cognitive function. Cross-sectional observational studies provide evidence of positive associations between nature exposure and increased levels of physical activity and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, and longitudinal observational studies are beginning to assess long-term effects of nature exposure on depression, anxiety, cognitive function, and chronic disease. Limitations of current knowledge include inconsistent measures of exposure to nature, the impacts of the type and quality of green space, and health effects of duration and frequency of exposure. Future directions include incorporation of more rigorous study designs, investigation of the underlying mechanisms of the association between green space and health, advancement of exposure assessment, and evaluation of sensitive periods in the early life-course.
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.