Trial reportInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023
Long-Term Effects of Mountain Hiking vs. Forest Therapy on Physical and Mental Health of Couples: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions that prolong multidimensional healthspan in humans: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic literature review of economic studies on nature-based social prescribing for health improvement.BMC primary care · 2026Pooled it
- Nature's heart: a scoping review of the impact of nature-based interventions for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- A Scoping Review of Prevention Classification in Mental Health: Examining the Application of Caplan's and Gordon's Prevention Frameworks (2018-2024).Journal of prevention (2022) · 2025Article
- An integrative review of the physical, mental, and socioeconomic benefits of outdoor hiking.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
- From urban to alpine: environmental microbial transfer in urban adults - the ALM Study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Activity Performance Priorities for Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Insights from Management and Staff at a Transitional Housing Facility.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- The causal relationship model of factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors during the post-pandemic era and implications for health prevention strategies: a case of Bangkok City, Thailand.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Nature-based experience in Venetian lagoon: Effects on craving and wellbeing in addict residential inpatients.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Effects of Alpine Natural Health Resources on Human Health and Wellbeing.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Consequences of COVID-19 and Its Variants: Understanding the Physical, Oral, and Psychological Impact.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLifelong physical activity is related to longer health span, which is reflected at an individual level, and is of substantial socioeconomic relevance. Sedentary lifestyles, on the other hand, pose an increasingly major public health problem. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on activity levels and well-being. Previous research indicates that contact with nature might improve exercise levels as well as well-being.
methodsThis randomized, controlled clinical trial (ANKER-study) investigated the effects of two types of nature-based therapies (forest therapy and mountain hiking) in couples (FTG: n = 23; HG: n = 22;) with a sedentary or inactive lifestyle on health-related quality of life, relationship quality and other psychological and physiological parameters.
resultsThe results of this study displayed that healthy and highly functioning women and men with sedentary lifestyles mentally benefit from contact with nature (quality of life, satisfaction with life, mood, internal and external health-related control beliefs). The gender-specific effect on women is most visible in the physiological outcomes (hemopoietic system, aerobic capacity, skeletal muscle mass and hydration) of mountain hiking. Men and women showed small improvements in blood pressure as a result of the interventions.
conclusionsThe ANKER-study provides a method for valid comparison of forest therapy interventions for the first time. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature-based intervention presented could offer a multimodal contribution to maintaining a more active lifestyle, further contact with nature that affects peoples physical as well as mental health, and an improvement in social interaction.
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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.