Trial reportJournal of occupational health2025
Forest bathing improves inflammatory markers, SpO2, and subjective symptoms related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in male subjects at risk of developing COPD.
Trial report in Journal of occupational health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Forest Bathing (Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Potential preventive effects of forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku on depressive symptoms: a narrative review of mechanistic evidence.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2026Review
- Therapist-Guided Versus Self-Guided Forest Immersion: Comparative Efficacy on Short-Term Mental Health and Economic Value.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for 3.5 million deaths in 2021. Effective preventive measures are needed. Forest bathing has been reported to have positive effects on the immune system. In addition, the clean air, mild climate, phytoncides, high oxygen concentration, and other elements of forests are expected to have benefits for respiratory diseases such as COPD. Based on the above background, this study used a randomized crossover design to examine the improving effects of forest bathing on inflammatory markers and subjective symptoms related to COPD.
methodsThirty male subjects aged 63.1 ± 7.5 years were recruited after obtaining informed consent. These subjects participated in day trips to a Japanese cypress forest park and to a city area of Nagano Prefecture as a control in June 2024. Blood samples were taken in the afternoon of each day before and after the walks. Concentrations of α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in blood were measured. Percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2), the profile of mood states (POMS), and questionnaires for subjective fatigue and respiratory symptoms and sleep quality were carried out before and after each trip.
resultsForest bathing significantly decreased the concentrations of blood CRP, α1-AT, IL-6, and fibrinogen, significantly increased SpO2, reduced subjective fatigue and respiratory symptoms, improved sleep and the scores of positive feelings, and reduced the scores for negative emotions in POMS.
conclusionsForest bathing may improve inflammatory markers, SpO2, and subjective symptoms related to COPD.
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