Is being in natural outdoor environments associated to mood, mental health, vitality and somatisation?

Abstract

Introduction: Existing evidence shows that contact with natural outdoor environments (NOE) benefits human health and well-being. This evidence is mostly based on cross-sectional and experimental studies. We aimed to explore if: (i) mood was associated to being in natural outdoor environments, (ii) daily changes on subjective somatisation, vitality and mental health were associated to being in natural outdoor environments during the day. Methods: The study was conducted in four European cities: Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands), and Kaunas (Lithuania). Smartphones were used to collect objective information on the location and momentary mood (positive and negative) of 100 people in each city. Participants were asked to fill in a diary every morning and every evening to collect objective information on their mental health status, vitality, and somatisation. We used GIS to determine time spent in natural outdoor environments (weekly, and at different time periods before mood assessment). Statistical analyses were performed with pooled data and separately by city. Results: Various associations were found between mental health, somatisation, vitality and indicators of time spent in natural outdoor environments in the pooled and by city analyses. But no consistency on the significant indicators was found. Associations between positive affect and time spent in natural outdoor environments were found in the pooled and by city analyses. Associations between negative affect and time spent in natural outdoor environments were found in Stoke-on-Trent only. Conclusions: Small association between being in natural outdoor environments and mood are found at short term. These associations differ in each city.