Perceptions of forest contact and its therapeutic role in university students in South Korea
| Autor | Jihye Choi |
| Cargo | Jihye Choi, Eulji university Eulji university |
| Páginas | 344-350 |
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Artículo de investigación
Perceptions of forest contact and its therapeutic role in
university students in South Korea
Percepciones sobre el contacto forestal y su función terapéutica en estudiantes universitarios de
Corea del Sur
Percepções de contato com a floresta e seu papel terapêutico em estudantes universitários na
Coreia do Sul
Recibido: 20 de abril de 2018. Aceptado: 10 de mayo de 2018
Written by:
Jihye Choi (Corresponding Author)1
1Eulji university; Email: jheych@naver.com
Abstract
This paper focuses on the influence of forest
experience and its positive implications for
undergraduate students. A survey was conducted
of 114 undergraduate students in South Korea.
The results show that 90.4% of the students
reported that forest experience is useful for
mental health. The students had experience in
forests during the last year, such as visiting one
for recreation (8.8%), participating in activities
(14.9%), tracking (32.5%), climbing mountains
(13.2%), walking in the park (23.7%)), and
camping (7%). Korean students who believe that
the forest experienc e has a heali ng function
significantly happier than those who did not.
There were significant differences between the
groups of beliefs or non-beliefs and the level of
happiness (p <.001 also students who have>
experience in the woods regularly are
significantly happier than those who did not.
Therefore, in th is document, we investigate and
analyze the perception of forestry experience
and its healing function for university students.
We propose the implication of the benefit of the
forestry experience.
Keywords: forest, happiness, healing function
Resumen
Este documento se centra en la influencia de la
experiencia forestal y sus implicac iones positivas
para los estudiantes de pregrado. Se realizó una
encuesta a 114 estudiantes de pregrado en
Corea del Sur. L os res ultados muestran que el
90.4% de los estudiantes informaron que la
experiencia forestal es útil para la salud mental.
Los estudiantes tuvieron experiencia en bosques
durante el último año, como visitar uno para
recreación (8.8%), participar en actividades
(14.9%), rastrear (32.5%), escalar montañas
(13.2%), pasear en el parque (23.7%)), y
camping (7%). Los estudiantes de Corea que
creen que la experiencia forestal tiene una
función de curación significativamente más feliz
que aquellos que no la tenían. Hubo diferencias
significativas entre los grupos de creencias o no
creencias y el nivel de felicidad (p <.001>
También los estudiantes que tienen experiencia
en los bosques regularmente son
significativamente más felices que aquellos que
no lo hicieron. Por lo tanto, en este documento,
investigamos y analizamos l a percepción de la
experiencia forestal y su función de curación para
los estudiantes universitarios. Proponemos la
implicación del beneficio de la experiencia
forestal.
Palabras claves: Bosque, felicidad, función
curativa.
Resumo
Este artigo enfoca a influênci a da experiência da floresta e suas implicações positivas dos estudantes de
graduação. Uma pesquisa foi realizada com 114 estudantes de graduação na Coréia do Sul. Os resultados
mostram que 90,4% dos estudantes relataram que a experiência florestal necessári a e útil para a saúde
mental. Os alunos tiveram experiência florestal nos últimos 1 anos, como visitar a floresta para recreação
Choi, J. /
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(8,8%), part icipar de atividade (14,9%), rastreamento (32,5%), alpinismo (13,2%), passear no parque
(23,7%) e camping (7%). Os estudantes da Coreia que acreditam que a experiência na floresta tem uma
função de cura significativamente mais feliz do q ue aqueles que não o fizeram. H ouve diferenças
significativas entre grupos de crença ou não-crença e o nível de felicidade (p <0,001). E também os alunos
que têm uma experiência regular de floresta significativamente mai s feliz do que aqueles que não têm.
Portanto, neste trabalho, investigamos e analisamos a percepção da experiência florestal e sua função de
cura para alunos de graduação. Propomos a implicação do benefício da experiência florestal.
Palavras-chave: Floresta, felicidade, função de cura
Introduction
Recently, exhaustion of natural resources,
environmental pollution a nd c limate change
threatens human well-being. Severe air pollution
causes health problems and can actually lead to
a worse quality of life. Research suggests that
contact with nature can be benefic ial, for
example leading to improvements in mood,
cognition, and health (Capaldi et al, 2014). And
also, forests give us great landscape, fresh air,
phytoncyde, or contribute to global gas balances.
Many researchers have been studying the role of
forests and people's perceptions. These efforts
have shown the importance of forests in urban
settings. Trees and forests play a significant role
in th e urban environment and h ave many
important meani ngs to urban residents (Dwyer
et al., 1991). Like other developing countries,
Korea faces many environmental problems
caused by rapid development and urban syst em.
So, urban has a poor forest area and air pollution
problem. In China, urban residents with high
levels of air pollution report low life satisfaction
(Smyth et al., 2008). Maibach et al (2009) noted
that a quarter of Americans feel afraid about
climate c hange and global warming. Noble
(2007) addressed that the worry about global
warming leads self-reported symptoms of
sleeplessness, irritability, and panic attacks.
Nature experie nce appears to predict these
environmental concerns (Nisbet et al., 2009).
People who spent time in nature are more likely
to engage in a variety of pro-environme ntal
behaviors (Mayer and Frantz, 2004; Nisbet et al.,
2009; Tam, 2013a). And also, air purification by
trees can reduce air pollution reduction costs.
So, forests environments affect human wellbeing
and increase quality of life.
- Nature experience in urban: In general,
many people lives in urban (United Nations
Population Di vision, 2002). Habi tat (2001)
mentioned that about 75% of people lived in
urban in the developed countries. Approximately
half of the total South Korean population also
lives in urba n area (Kim et al., 2016). Urban life
gives many stresses to human. So urban residents
seek to form of stress relief (Frumkin, 2001).
Managing stress may play a significant role in
maintaining good health. Nature gives us so many
benefits including pleasant landscape,
phytoncyde, and fresh air. And also, nature may
contribute to maladaptive functioning (Kellert,
1997). Most adult Koreans are likely to visit a
forest area including national park once or more
in a year (Kim et al., 2003). The major influencing
factor to this action is that they believe these
forest experiences can enhance their mental
functioning and health. Green spaces are
therefore important for human health and
wellbeing.
Nature has a positive influence on mental health.
Ulrich (1981) noted that park experience may
reduce stress. It can promote pleasant moods
(Nisbet & Zelenski, 2011). Ulrich (1984) also
founded that patients who see trees a nd nature
recovered quickly that those who did not.
Kaplan (1983) mentioned that nature experience
enhances mindfulness and peacefulness.
Research about forest experience verifies beliefs
about mental health (Hartig et al., 1991;
Conway, 2000). More research findings have
pointed that forest environments provide better
emotional, physiological, restorative effects
(Hartig, et al., 2003; Laumann et al., 2003; Morita
et al., 2007). Furthermore, forest experiences
seem to have revitalizing effects (Ryan et al.,
2010). Maas et al (2006) reported that green
space br ought promote better health. Roe and
Aspinall (2011) reported that walking in forest
affect to e motional and cognitive restoration. In
Korea, walking in forests is a common activity
and is believed to promote health and healing
function. So, many koreans go to walk in forest
to breathe in fresh air.
- Forest and wellbeing: Additionally, Forest
can have a strong, relaxing effect on people.
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Many studies have provided that a forest
experience can contributes to happiness,
reducing stress, and mind and mental health
(Ulrich, 1984; Cimpric h, 1993; Shin, 2007;
Nisbet and Zelenski, 2013). Four-fifths of the
respondents in a study of Morton Arboretum
users described their favorite settings as serene,
peaceful, and restful (Schroeder, 1988). Ulrich
and his associates have actually measured the
relaxation effects associated with views of trees.
They found that individuals who viewed urban
scenes had sl ower heartbeats, lower blood
pressure, and more relaxed brai n wave patterns
than individuals who did not (Ulrich, 1981). Colin
et al (2014) found that those who are more
connected to nature tended to experience more
positive affect, vitali ty, and life satisfaction
compared to those less connected to nature.
Forest activities cited as providing both
preventive a nd therapeutic health ben efits
(Kaplan, 1995). Kim et al (2004) found that the
effects of meridian exercise on anxiety,
depression for Korean female undergraduates. In
Sum, Forest experiences have been correlated
with well-being and health.
Forest contacts touch our lives in so many ways,
especially happiness. The present article places
the forest experience in the context of
happiness. Nature experience is associated with
increased happiness (Berman et al., 2008, 2012;
Mayer et al., 2009; Nisbet and Zelenski, 2011;
MacKerron and Mourato, 2013; White et al.,
2013). Many r esearchers report that forest
experience and happiness connec tion (Frantz
and Mayer, 2009; Kuo et al., 1998). Attention for
happiness has been growing steadily. However,
few studies look at the ass ociation between
forest contacts and happiness. The happiness
experienced by university students affects their
health and quality of life (Lee, 1997).
Nonetheless, the happiness of university
students has received relatively l ittle attention
compared to that of children, adolescents and
married women. Therefore, the aim of this study
was to explore the perception of forest contacts
and its self-healing function in a sample of Korean
undergraduates. Spielberger et al (1970) also
noted that forest experience facilitates
psychological and physiological relaxation.
Therefore, forest experience promotes health
by restoring mental fatigue (Kaplan, 2001). Kuo
et al. (1998) reported that forest helps people to
relax, and reduce negative emotion. Shin et al
(2007) also reported that forest experience has
positive effect to mental well being and Gang
(2012) mentioned it promotes emotion al
wellbeing. Forests contribute to human health
and wellbeing by providing a suitable
environment for recreation and rehabilitation.
Method
- Subjects: The subjects of this study were 114
university students in Korea. They were selected
from universities located in the metropolitan
areas of South Korea. Of the study population,
68 participants (59.6%) wer e female and
46(40.3%) were male. Of those students,
30(2631%) were in 1st year, 46(40.4%) were in
2nd year, 30(26.3%) were in 3rd year, and
8(7.0%) were in 4th year. Th e students ranged
in age from 20-30 years, and the mean age is
21.6.
- Procedures: The data have been collected
through a survey. This study developed open
ended survey from that asks 5 questions about
forest experience within the past 1 y ear, 3
questions about its healing function and 3
questions of happiness. Response formats were
open or closed. The survey questions addressed
a broad range of issues about forest, ranging from
image of forest experience, motives for forest
contact, forest contact attitudes, and perception
of forest’s healing functions. Sample questions
are “What kind of forest experiences do you
have?” “Do you visit forest regular?” “What’s the
benefit of forest contacts?” “Do you have any
idea of future forest program?” The t hree item
happiness scale (Choi, 2016; α = .67) asked
participants and was evaluated between
1(strongly disagree) to 5(strongly agree). The
survey wa s administered at the part icipants’
lecture room. They were debriefed by telling
them the aims of the study and none refused to
participate in this study. In this paper, the analysis
will depend on the following issues:
1 Motives for nature: Frequency of visits
to forest ar eas, activities undertaken
(hiking, trekking, forest watching,
photography, and etc.).
2 Perceived benefits: phytoncide,
enhance health
3 Happiness: happiness indicators
- Data Analysis: Data were summarized a s
means and standard deviations (SD) or
frequencies. And student t test was conducted
using the happiness level. All analyses were
conducted using the Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 19.0 for Windows.
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Results
- Forest contacts: Subject’s forest co ntacts are
summarized in Table 1. Of these individuals, 37
(32.5%) reported eco-tracking, 27(23.7%)
reported art program, 17(14.9%) reported
writing, 15(13.2%) reported mindfulness,
10(8.8%) reported recreati on, and 8(7%)
reported climbing. Many students were prone to
spent time in eco-tracking and art program in the
forest.
Table 1. Students’ forest contacts (N=114)
Forest experience
N (%)
Climbing
8(7.0%)
Art program
27(23.7%)
Mindfulness
15(13.2%)
Eco-tracking
37(32.5%)
Recreation
10(8.8%)
Writing
17(14.9%)
- Perceived benefit: Student’s perception of
forest contacts are summarized in Table 2.
Approximately 32.5 % of students preferred to
stay about 180minutes, 26.3% of students
preferred to stay about 60minutes, and 24.6% of
students preferred to stay about 30mi nutes at
forest area. 90.4% of students reported that
forest contacts need to them for subjective well-
being. On the other hand, 9.6% of students
reported f orest contacts doesn’t need to them
for subjective well-being. Approximately 46.5 %
of students reported th at they need for est
contacts because livi ng urban has lower green
space, and 36% of students reported the reason
for mental health. These results show that
students valued forest contacts and mental
health.
Table 2. Perception of forest experience (N=114)
Content
N (%)
Stay time
20(min)
5(4.4%)
30(min)
28(24.6%)
40(min)
5(4.4%)
50(min)
4(3.5%)
60(min)
30(26.3%)
180(min)
37(32.5%)
Over 180(min)
5(4.4%)
Need for forest contacts
Yes
103(90.4%)
no
11(9.6%)
Select reason
Education
9(7.9%)
Mental health
41(36%)
Live urban
53(46.5)
n/a
11(9.7%)
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Student’s perception of forest healing function is
summarized in Table 3. Approximately 90.4 %
of students believed forest contacts have healing
function. Only 9.6% of students reported they
don’t believe it. There are several reasons for
that belief. 50% of students reported landscape,
29.8%of students reported fresh air, and 10.5%
of students reported clear mind. About benefit
of forest contacts, 28.1% of students reported
phytoncide, 16.7% of students reported lower
stress, 12.3% of students reported health and
happiness, and 10.5% of students reported mind
and body rest. Over 90% of students believed
that forest experiences help mental and physical
health and rest.
Table 3. Perception of forest healing function (N=114)
Content
N (%)
Healing function
Yes
103(90.4%)
no
11(9.6%)
Reason
Fresh air
34(29.8%)
Clear mind
12(10.5%)
Landscape
57(50%)
n/a
11(9.7%)
Benefit
health
14(12.3%)
Lower stress
19(16.7%)
happiness
14(12.3%)
Mind & body rest
12(10.5%)
phytoncide
32(28.1%)
- Hap piness: To analyze the differences
between groups on happiness, a student t test
was performed. The analysis showed the
following significant differences. Table 4 presents
the means and standard deviations by group. The
results demonstrate clear differences between
belief group and non-belief group (P<.001>
Students who b elieve forest contacts have
healing function tended to be happier than who
does not. And also students who have regular
forest contacts tended to be happier than who
does not (P<.01>
Table 4. healing function and happiness (N=114)
Group
N
M
SD
t value
t value
belief group
103
3.83
.84
8.154***
non-belief group
11
1.73
.46
Regular group
74
3.86
.89
3.465**
Irregular group
29
3.20
1.11
* p < .05, ** p<.01 class="ls1f ws18">*** p < .001
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Discussion
The purpose of this study was to explore the
perception of the forest contacts and its healing
function. Total 114 undergraduates were
participated on this survey. According to the
results of this study, about 90.4% of students
reported the significance of forest contacts.
Approximately 60% of students reported that
they preferred tracking and st rolling in the park.
Approximately 60% of students p referred to
stay about 180 to 60minutes at the forest area.
90.4 % of students believed forest contacts have
healing function. They reported healing function
of forest contacts are phytoncide (28.1%), lower
stress (16.7%), health and happiness (12.3%),
and mind and body rest (10.5%). Over 90% of
students believed that forest contacts help
mental and physical health and rest. And also, the
results demonstrate clear differences between
belief group and non-belief group (P<.001>
Students who b elieve forest contacts have
healing function tended to be happier than who
does not. And also students who have regular
forest contacts tended to be happier than who
does not (P<.01 class="_ _2"> This implies that for est
experiences can be very helpful to student’s well-
being. An encouraging fact is that a significant
proportion of the participants (90.4% of
students) expressed a positi ve perceptio n to
forest contacts.
Findings from our study indicate that forest
contacts are a ssociated with mental health. The
result consistent with Ulrich (1984) and Capaldi,
Dopko, & Zelenski (2014) who suggests that
contact with nature can be beneficial to mental
health. Additionally, our study found that forest
contacts are a ssociated with higher levels of
happiness. This result is consistent with López-
Pousa et al (2015) who reported a positive
relationship between exercise (i .e. walking in
forests) and positive emotion, and Morita et al
(2007) who exami ned the effect of walking
through forests on health condition. Canadian
Health Survey found that women were happier
when engaged in physical activities (Stephens,
1988). In this sense, forest contacts give us a huge
healing capacity.
As we conducted this work, the results of this
study suggest that forest contacts can help
student’s happiness and mental h ealth. This kind
of optimistic attitude shows that these forest
contacts need for students and it have many
values. The values of forest contacts in urban
areas are significant. Some of t hese values are
very important but are not often considered in
educating. Educators need t o understand the
value of forest contacts and to effectively adapt
to academic programs. Research on student's
perceptions on forest contacts can play a key role
in the positive educational process.
Our studies of the perception of forest contacts
confirm the value of "nature" as a significant
contributor to the health and happiness of
students. The results of this study should be
useful for establishing policies and programs for
welfare. Therefore, for sustainable education, it
is i mportant to have va rious forest curriculums
suitable to the Korean urban environm ent. This
study will contribute to make advances in
student’s happiness and sustainable society.
Although the results of this study can provide
significant implications for student’s h appiness,
this study may have limitations due to inclusion
of study partic ipants from specific regions and
age groups. In addition, additional exploration on
effect of forest experience and happiness is als o
necessary. These efforts are expected to
enhance student’s happiness and lead to well-
being society.
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