• Polymer Science and Technology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2011

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.300-311
• /
• 2017

Purpose: There are many forest and outdoor programs being offered but systematic reviews of effects are lacking. This study was done to identify content, format, and strategies of forest therapy programs for elementary school students. Methods: Literature search using keywords in English and Korean was performed using 6 electronic databases in December 2016. Search participants were elementary school students and interventions conducted in the forest. Seventeen forest therapy studies were selected for evaluation. Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized study was used for quality assessment. Results: All studies were quasi-experimental designs. Forest therapy programs included various activities in forests such as experience of five senses, meditation in the forest, walking in the forest, ecological play, observation of animals and insects. All studies used psychosocial health variables and forest healing programs had positive effects on sociality, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, stress, aggression, anger, and school adjustment. Limitations of these studies were vague reporting of the study, lack of ethical review and rigorous research designs. Conclusion: Forest therapy for elementary school child can be an effective way to improve psychosocial health. Future studies with rigorous study designs are needed to assess long-term effects of forest therapy on physical and psychosocial health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.102 no.1
• /
• pp.97-106
• /
• 2013

The present study is aimed to evaluate forest health in a fragmented urban forest using characteristics of insect communities. Ants (Formicidae) and ground beetles (Carabidae) surveyed by pitfall trap method in the Hongneung forest located in the urban area of Seoul were compared with those in the Gwangneung forest. The Gwangneung forest is supposed to be health due to its high biodiversity and well-conserved nature. Ants of the Hongneung forest was much more abundant compared with those of the Gwangneung forest. However, ground beetles showed the opposite patterns; much more abundant in the Gwangneung forest than in the Hongneung forest. Species richness was higher in the Gwangneung forest than in the Hongneung forest, but species diversity was higher in the Hongneung forest. In the Hongneung forest, forest specialist species and generalist species were balanced, whereas few forest specialists dominated in the Gwangneung forest. This dominance decreased species diversity in those Gwangneung forest. Thus, characteristics of insect community in the Hongneung forest were greatly different with those in the Gwangneung forest.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze community-based health promotion program for school-aged children and program using forest. Methods: Seventeen health promotion programs focused on school-aged children from Community Health Plan were selected to analyze after assembling 227 of the 5th National Community Health Plans. The analysis duration was from 2012 July to November. Results: Among 17 programs, the health promotion program targeting school-aged children were included in 16 programs except one program focusing on community- orientated rehabilitation program. Eight health promotion programs using forest in 7 different areas were found. The majority of the community-based health promotion programs were focused mainly on smoking cessation, obesity, physical activity, nutrition, mental health programs. Furthermore, there was a limitation of programs utilizing forest as a health promotion resource and most of the programs using forest were located in Jeollanamdo and focusing mainly on atopy prevention and treatment. Conclusion: The importance of this study is that it analyzed nation-wide community health plan systematically, and analyze community-based health promotion program targeting school-aged and the program using forest. The results of the analysis can be used as baseline data for developing physical and mental health promotion programs using forest targeting school-aged children.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.205-216
• /
• 2018

Objectives: Scientific verification for health effects has been constantly demanded through the forest healing factors. In this study, phytoncide concentration which is one of the forest healing factors, was investigated according to stand density, season and visiting time, and analyzed correlation with micrometeorology factors. Methods: Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and Natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) were collected using a measuring instrument which is connected to an air pump with the Tenax TA tube. The 32NVOCs were selected through the detailed criteria of adequacy assessment for recreational forest. The statistical analysis (correlation and stepwise regression analysis) was conducted between phytoncide concentration and micrometeorology factors. Results: NVOCs concentration linearly increased according to stand density. The high level showed in the summer (p<0.05), and there is no significant difference according to visiting hours of the Healing forest. NVOCs is a negative correlation with solar radiation, PAR and wind direction, and a positive correlation with relative humidity and temperature (p<0.01). NVOCs increased following the increase of humidity and temperature ($R^2=0.55$). Conclusions: Phytoncide linearly increased according to stand density, and showed the correlation significantly with microclimate factors. In future, these results will be utilized as a basic material to promote the generation of phytoncide, which positively influences human health promotion and manage the forest welfare space.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.97 no.2
• /
• pp.152-155
• /
• 2008

The Korean version of Perceived Restorativeness Scale was administered to 150 SanEum Recreational Forest visitors to investigate it's psychometric properties. Factor analysis revealed that the scale consists primarily of four factors related to compatibility, preference, being away and coherence. The internal consistency of the scale was positive. Based on these tests, it appears that the scale is a sound measure of restorativeness or psychological health benefits from forest experience.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.187-197
• /
• 2023

The study aims to identify factors related to landscape structure and socioeconomic characteristics that influence adults' physical activity and health. The study analyzes data from 148,643 respondents from the Korea Community Health Survey conducted in 2021. The study measures various factors, including the frequency of physical activity, stress, depression, and landscape metrics of forest patches. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Larger forest patches and more irregular shapes are associated with higher levels of physical activity among adults. The percentage and area of the forest patch are associated with fewer mental health complaints. Configuration-related landscape metrics such as shape or arrangement of the forest patch did not show a significant association with physical activity. Overall, the study provides insights into how specific characteristics of forest patches in urban areas may influence physical activity and mental health among adults. It emphasizes the importance of green spaces and their potential positive effects on both physical and mental well-being.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.492-497
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Women experience more stress in middle age than in other periods of their lives. Therefore, health management programs that enable middle-aged women to cope with and manage stress are needed. This study investigated the psychological effects of a meditation-focused forest therapy program among 53 middle-aged women living in urban areas in Korea. Methods: Participants were divided into 2 groups: one group underwent the program for 3 days in a forest, followed by 3 days in an urban environment, and the other group underwent the program for 3 days in the urban environment, followed by 3 days in the forest. The psychological effects of the forest therapy program were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States-Brief (POMS-B). Differences in mood state before and after the program conducted in the forest (experimental group) and in the urban environment (control group) were evaluated using the paired-samples t-test. Results: The program in the forest significantly reduced tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion among the domains of the POMS-B. The program in the urban area significantly reduced tension, but not depression, anger, fatigue, or confusion. Conclusions: Meditation-focused forest therapy programs are expected to contribute to promoting psychological health and enhancing the quality of life of middle-aged women.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.297-305
• /
• 2015

Forest area was applied as health promotion place for resident. Korea Forest Service set the term of "forest healing" based on the application of forest area as health promotion, which multidisciplinary approach in forest policy, and construct the "healing forest" for the healing space. Handicapped was excluded from the forest healing service as healing forest was located in the point away from urban area. The standard of healing forest size was difficult to set as urban forest area was fragmented. This study conducted on adequate standard of healing forest size in urban region. This study surveyed the laws related to the outdoor recreation place, and the walking range of the handicapped (elders, disabilities). The results were deduced with interrelationship between two factors(forest policy, human walking range). Healing forest size was not departmentalized for urban area compared with the standard of similar outdoor space (tourism complex, urban parks). Healing forest size was changed from 50ha to 25ha in national forest, from 30ha to 15ha in private forest considered with walking range of handicapped. This study contributes the evidence as the standard of healing forest size for health promotion in urban resident.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.330-339
• /
• 2018

Objectives: The occurrence characteristics of BTEXS and phytoncides were investigated by type of urban forest. Methods: Four types of urban green space (Hongneung Forest, Mt. Chunjang, residential park, and traffic island) and Gwangneung Forest were selected. Monitoring of phytoncides and BTEXS was conducted considering the activity times of urban residents (five times per day) using a Tenax TA tube and suction pump in June 2017 (one day). Results: Phytoncide concentrations were ranked as Gwangneung Forest>Hongneung Forest>Mt. Cheonjang>traffic island>residential park. Relatively high concentrations of phytoncides were also identified in the urban forest. There was no significant difference between Gwangneung Forest and the urban forest. BTEXS concentrations were ranked as traffic island>residential park>Hongneung Forest>Gwangneung Forest>Mt. Cheonjang. Traffic island and residential park showed high levels of BTEXS depending on the inflow of vehicles. The difference in concentration by time was significant for the traffic island in particular. Pollutant levels in Hongneung Forest were as low as in Gwangneung Forest. Conclusion: The concentrations of phytoncides and BTEXS were different by types of urban green space, and the potential for health and hygiene of urban forests were able to be investigated. This study is expected to provide as basic data for the creation of urban forest spaces in the future.