• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.111-119
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• 2014

This papers is to find out the design theory of total healing environment through the studies on the mutually complementary roles of proxemics, which is the objective and numerical design indicator in the analysis of space and the spacial expression theory, which is the subjective and intuitive design indicator. 3 factors in the elements of total healing environment have the following relationship. And 8 behavioral affordance factors in the elements of spatial expression have the following mutual relationships; The physical factor of total healing environment has the relation with the work&study(+) and circulation(+), the psychological factor has the relationship with the rest(-),visual sequence(-),social exchange(+),refreshment(-) and meditation(-). In addition, the social factor of total healing environment has the relation with the circulation(+),social exchange(+) and community(+). And the work&study(+) and rest(-) of the refuge have the relation with the intimate distance and personal distance, the circulation (+) and visual sequence (-) of the flow has the relationship with the social distance. In addition, the social exchange (+) and the refreshment (-) of the prospect have the relation with the near public distance and the community (+) and meditation (-) of the void have the relation with the far public distance. According to the analysis, the cases in 5 children hospital were studied and the characteristics of total healing environment was evaluated for the spatial proxemics.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.158-166
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to suggest a direction for eco-friendly healing space design for healthcare facilities in the future. Theoretical review and case study on the concept of sustainable design, spatial expression and behavioral affordance were used as research method. Through these reviews, the 3 elements of the total healing environment -physical, psychological and social- have correspondence with elements of spatial expression; Refuge, Flow, Prospect and Void. And these are related to the eight kinds of Behavioral affordance which are subdivided into WORK&STUDY, REST, CIRCULATION, VISUAL SEQUENCE, SOCIAL EXCHANGE, REFRESHMENT, COMMUNITY and MEDITATION. And the concept of sustainable design consists of 6 principles ; Natural system, People, Place, The cycle of life, Energy & natural resources and Process. Through correlation analysis of behavioral affordance and 6 principles, the result of this study presents that the physical elements of the total healing space was mainly associated with the principles of people, place and the cycle of life. Psychological element was related to principle of natural system, human, place and process. And social element was associated with the principles of human, place and process. According to this analysis, the case study of four low-rise eco-friendly medical facilities was undertaken. Sustainability was evaluated in total healing environmental through this case study.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.299-307
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• 2019

This study surveyed the general characteristics and forest use characteristics of forest visitors, the healing power of natural environments and Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) to find out whether humans can feel the healing effects of natural environments. The target area of this study was the natural environments of Bunseong Mountain in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. A total of 50 questionnaires were analyzed. Female visitors and those aged between 40s to 60s accounted for 62% and over 70% respectively. All the surveyed respondents answered 'yes' to the question about the healing effects of Bunseong Mountain and natural environments, and 84% of them answered that they can get 'psychological and physical healing' in Bunseong Mountain. Many respondents chose oxygen, sunlight, and landscape as a healing factor. To the questions about the specific form or conditions of the natural environments that have the healing effects, those who answered 'forest' was the highest (72%), and they described thickness of forests, gentle slope and clean air as their conditions. The average score of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) using a 7-point Likert scale was 5.14. The results of this study indicate that respondents perceive Bunseong Mountain as a restorative environment and think that they can enjoy the healing effects of Bunseong Mountain and natural environments.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.411-422
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• 2020

Background and objective: This study was conducted to find out the effects of healing farm resources and participant satisfaction on the level of stress and loyalty. Methods: The experiment was conducted on 18 subjects who participated in agro-healing activities (aged 49.5 years on average) and the concentration of cortisol, the level of stress and satisfaction with the services and program of a healing farm. The healing-agriculture activities were performed once a week, a total of 7 sessions, for 90 minutes and their saliva was collected before and after the activities. Results: The concentration of cortisol, a stress hormone, was statistically significantly reduced after the healing-agriculture activities in 5 out of 7 sessions. The total cortisol concentration showed statistically significant differences. The 6th session was comprised of different activities, compared to others, such as understanding weeds, managing a garden and making a pizza with fermentation enzymes, and the level of cortisol in the 6th session was the lowest after participating in the agro-healing activities, which indicated that the activities have the positive effect of lowering the level of stress. The level of stress was lowered from 18.39 to 16.78, which was consistent with the results of the concentration of cortisol. The level of satisfaction in the last session was below 50%, which indicated that the owner of the farm might be a little inexperienced in education and marketing on information and safety. The variables of participants including stress and satisfaction with services showed a strong influence on their loyalty. Conclusion: Satisfaction with services and loyalty to the healing farm showed a very high correlation, which was statistically significant. It also showed that participants' stress level and satisfaction with the services and program of the healing farm have a strong influence on their loyalty.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.1035-1045
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to provide information on a forest healing environment using the analysis of nature volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) and thermal comfort in Chungnam National University Experimental Forest, with the aim of using the Experimental Forest as a healing environment for health promotion. We analyzed NVOCs and thermal comfort of Chungnam National University Experimental Forest measured on September 12^th, 2021. As a result of the NVOC analysis, a total of seven substances were detected, mainly including alpha pinene and beta pinene. The detection amount for each time period was highest at the time of sunset. The thermal comfort was analyzed by time-dependent changes and changes according to clothing and exercise amount. The results showed that the predicted mean vote of the experimental forest is within the range of 'slightly cool' and 'slightly warm' sensation, and thus a comfortable thermal environment could be controlled by the amount of clothing and activity. Based on the analysis, this study provides information on the healing environment of the experimental forest at Chungnam National University. It also indicates that the forest can be used as a health promotion and healing environment with thermal comfort by composing a physical activity program of appropriate intensity for each time period.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.267-276
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• 2020

Background and objective: Agro-healing is crucial with urban farming in the domestic. It is beyond the conventional agriculture. This study was carried out to assess the 2010s researches on domestic agro-healing and predict the future direction of agro-healing development. Methods: Among the articles published from 2010 to 2018, we collected some articles by searching keywords including agro-healing, garden activity, gardening, horticultural activity, horticultural program, horticultural therapy, plant effect, plant environment, plant growing program, plant impact, social gardening, urban agriculture and vegetable garden activity, selected 83 articles that were evaluated in advance, and analyzed by frequency analysis, t-test, and one-way ANOVA with SPSS 20.0. Results: Agro-healing journal articles were published the most in 2010, and have declined since then. In the classification according to the academic society, most of the journal articles were published by the Society for People, Plants, and Environment. The main targets of domestic agro-healing related to activities and programs were preschoolers, children and adolescents, accounting for 52.4% of the total. By the characteristics of the subjects, agro-healing programs and studies were conducted with special participants who needed special care compared to the general participants. The dependent variables were classified into six areas according to their attributes and the share of psychological and emotional areas was highest (42.6%) among them. In terms of the composition of the program, the share of those with 9-12 sessions was highest (36.7%) and the share of those with more than 20 participants was also highest (39.8%). Conclusion: It is recommended to operate agro-healing programs or industries focusing on the socially disadvantaged including those who have special needs or the underprivileged, but in order to create income for farms and expand the demand for agro-healing, it will be necessary to spread the perception that anyone without any physical or emotional issue can be the targets of and experience agro-healing. To meet the different needs of targets of agro-healing, it will be necessary to conduct objective and practical studies on broader areas and in the process the healing functions of agriculture and the strength of agro-healing needs to be further highlighted.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.25-33
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• 2015

Purpose: This study is to suggest a direction for comprehensive planning of educational environment in which children's cognitive development and emotional needs are achieved in childcare facilities. The importance of educational environment in childcare facilities has increased since it was discovered that high quality educational environment can not be guaranteed in current childcare facilities while the number of women participating in labor force, hence the number of children spending most of their time in these facilities is rapidly increasing. Methods: Correlation analysis on Reggio Emilia Approach to education environment and Max Luscher's psychological healing theory, and case study. Results: The result of the correlation analysis, the 4 key elements of educational environment and the 4 emotional status have significant relationship. Based on the elements of educational environment in Reggio Emilia Approach, case studies were pursued in 3 different childcare facilities in Korea. Implications: Evaluation of these case studies addresses the important elements to be considered in comprehensive planning of the educational environment in childcare facilities.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.377-385
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• 2020

Background and objective: In the Republic of Korea, military service is mandatory. Some of new recruits have the stress from the special environment, which could cause psychological maladjustment. The military forces have operated education programs such as green camp and healing camp. The study was conducted to investigate changes in psychological and physiological stress by conducting forest healing activities along with plant scent treatment for soldiers participating in a green camp. Methods: A total of 52 soldiers were participated including maladjustment soldiers and those recommended by their military units to protect the unfit soldiers who participated in forest healing activities in the green camp. The programs that were certified by the Korea Forest Service between 2014 and 2019, and were applied for stress reduction and relaxation training were classified into stress-coping programs and forest experience programs. Post-hoc surveys and cortisol measurements were carried out. Results: Green camp soldiers experience and differences in the level of stress responses were found to be very statistically significant between the treatment and control groups. The techniques for coping with stress were not significantly different in the control group, and the treatment group showed statistically significant results. In addition, the results of analyzing changes in the concentration of cortisol and measuring physiological stress were very statistically significant in forest healing activities at 4 p.m. Conclusion: Once green camp soldiers face stressful situations, forest healing programs using forest plant scents for green camp soldiers can have positive responses and forest healing activities can reduce psychological and physiological stress responses, improving maladjustment behaviors caused by stress and positively affecting the reduction of cortisol.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.445-454
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• 2019

This study was conducted to find out physical changes in the blood pressure and saliva cortisol of patients with high blood pressure and diabetes after participating in agro-healing activities. The saliva cortisol and blood pressure of 14 males and females aged 49.79±10.48 on average were measured after participating in agro-healing activities. The saliva collection system was used, and their satisfaction level for the program was also surveyed. Changes in the values before and after participating in the agro-healing activities were compared and analyzed. The cortisol concentration, a stress hormone, was reduced from 6.76nmol/L before the program to 4.86nmol/L after the program, down by 1.9nmol/L, which was a statistically significant difference (z=-3.170, p<.01). In addition, the cortisol concentration was gradually reduced through the entire program from Session 1 to Session 7. Changes in the blood pressure of subjects before and after participating in agro-healing activities were examined, and the total systolic and diastolic blood pressure continuously decreased after participating in agro-healing activities through the entire program from Session 1 to Session 7. Their systolic blood pressure was reduced statistically significantly (z=-1.947, p<.05). Also, participants' satisfaction was analyzed and it was found that more than 95% of participants answered 'satisfied' and 'very satisfied' with agro-healing activities. Therefore, these results indicate that agro-healing activities performed in the healing-farm had a positive impact on the cortisol concentration and blood pressure of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition, their high satisfaction for this program seemed to improve the psychological and physiological conditions of subjects.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.355-364
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• 2019

This study was conducted to find out the effects of agro-healing activities and strolling on the physiological conditions of patients with chronic metabolic diseases. A total of 11 subjects participated in agro-healing activities, and their average age was 49.6±11.3. Changes in their salivary cortisol were compared and analyzed before and after participating in the agro-healing activity program, and it was found that the stress hormone decreased after participating in the program. Differences in brain wave between before and after participating in agro-healing activities and strolling were measured, and the ratio of alpha to high beta (RAHB) of subjects increased in most of the measured points after participating in agro-healing activities. In addition, the increase in the value in the temporal lobe (T3) that controls mortor skills and occipital lobe (O2) that controls visual functions indicates that the activities were effective in improving relaxation and stability. The relative low beta (RLB) power spectrum of subjects also statistically significantly decreased in the right occipital lobe (O2) that controls visual functions, the relative mid beta (RMB) and relative high beta (RHB) power spectrum decreased in the left temporal lobe (T3) and the right occipital lobe (O2). These results indicate that the activities were effective in improving relaxation under no stress and tension. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure of subjects after participating in agro-healing activities decreased from the prehypertension level to the normal level. These results indicate that horticultural activities and visual elements in healing farms, such as agro-healing activities and strolling, have positive impacts on patients with chronic metabolic diseases accompanied with diabetes or high blood pressure by increasing the brain activity and psycho-physiological conditions of participants.