From: Effects of forest bathing on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive adults: a review of the literature
Author, year, country | Study design | Sample size | Criteria for the inclusion of participants | Criteria for the exclusion of participants | Forest bathing intervention | Control/comparator | Duration and frequency of the intervention | QATSDD score (0-42) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feng et al., 2017 [41]; China | Randomized controlled trial | n = 290, 100% male; I = 190 (HT group); C = 100 (non-HT group) | Mean age: 50 ± 10; non-smokers and non-drinkers; HT with or without anti-HTN drugs | DM; CAD; CVA | Forest walking | No intervention | 20 sessions; 1 session/day; walk 60-90 min/per session or walk 2 km/per session | 23 |
Horiuchi et al., 2015 [32]; Japan | Quasi-experimental study | n = 54; males = 19 (35%); females = 35 (65%) | Mean age: 63.2 ± 9.4; taking anti-HTN drugs; non-smokers | Not specified | Forest walking (stretching; self-paced, comfortable walking) and forest viewing in a supine position | NA | 1 session; 90 min/per session | 26 |
Lanki et al., 2017 [22]; Finland | Quasi-experimental and comparative study | n = 36; 100% female | Aged 30-60; not taking anti-HTN medications | Smoking; cardiac pacemaker; hearing aid; MI; CAD; CHF; Stroke, COPD | Sedentary viewing, and walking in an urban forest and urban park | Sedentary viewing and walking in the city center | 1 session; starting in the afternoon; including 15 min of sedentary viewing, 30 min of paced and unhurried walking | 25 |
Lee and Lee, 2014 [33]; Korea | Randomized controlled trial | n = 62; 100% female; I, n = 43; C, n = 19 | Aged 60-80; BP < 160/110 mmHg | Chronic liver and renal disease; CAD; CVA; cancer; disability or pain when walking; BP > 160/110 mmHg | Forest walking conducted separately 1 week apart with city walking | City walking conducted separately 1 week apart with forest walking | 1 session; 1 h of paced walking in the morning | 31 |
Li et al., 2016 [34]; Japan | Randomized crossover trial | n = 19; 100% male | Aged 40-74; not taking anti-HT drugs; high normal hypertension; living in the city | Not specified | Forest walking | Urban walking | Two sessions in a day: (AM+PM); 1 h 20 min per session | 23 |
Mao et al., 2012 [23]; China | Randomized controlled trial | n = 24; I = 12; C = 12; does not mention gender | Aged 60-75; BP < 180/110 mmHg with or without taking anti-HTN drugs; class I-II cardiac function; ADL independent | Getting the flu; acute disease 2 weeks before; cancer, chronic liver, kidney, brain, heart or lung disease; acute MI in the previous 3 months; CVA within 6 months; Hx of severe trauma or major surgery | Forest walking | City walking | 7 sessions in 7 consecutive days, 1.5 h for each session, walk in the morning or afternoon | 28 |
Ochiai et al., 2015a [24]; Japan | Quasi-experimental study | n = 9; 100% male | Aged 40-72; SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 85-89 mmHg | Taking drugs for DM, HT, hyper-lipidemia | Forest therapy: strolling; sitting; lying down; deep breathing in a forest; riding in the forest train; strolling in an indoor pavilion | NA | One-day therapy program, 4 h 35 min | 28 |
Ochiai et al., 2015b [42]; Japan | Quasi-experimental study | n = 17; 100% female; HT (n = 6) healthy adults (11) | Mean age: 62.2+/−9.4; HT with or without anti-HTN drugs; no other diseases or psychological disorders | Difficulty walking in hot weather | Forest therapy: strolling, deep breathing, lying down lecture and chatting in forest; abdominal breathing with lie down position | NA | One-day therapy program, 4 h 41 min | 28 |
Song et al., 2017a [35]; Japan | Randomized crossover trial | n = 20; 100% male | Aged 40-75; BP > 120/80 mmHg | Taking medication for diabetes, hyper- lipidemia, HT | Landscapes of forest viewed while sitting in chair in the afternoon | Urban area viewing while sitting in a chair in the afternoon | One session, 10 min each, conducted in 2 consecutive days | 29 |
Song et al., 2017b [43] Japan | Quasi-experimental study | n = 26; males = 14; females = 12 | Aged 19-56; office workers from an IT company; BP normal or SBP > 120 mmHg | Not specified | Forest therapy: preparation stretches; blind walking; deep breathing; strolling; viewing scenery and lecture; sending stress to waterfall, sitting and lying down; backwards walking; meditation; lying in a hammock | NA | One-day forest program, 6 h 12 min; date collected, 3 days before, on the day of the forest therapy, 3 days after, and 5 days after | 24 |
Song et al., 2015 [36]; Japan | Randomized crossover trial | n = 20; 100% male | Mean age: 58 ± 10.6; BMI: 23.4 ± 3.3 kg.m2; SBP 130–179 mmHg; DBP 85–109 mmHg | Taking drugs for DM, hyperlipidemia, HT | Walking in a forest | Walking in urban area | One session, 17 min in 2 consecutive days | 25 |
Sung et al., 2012 [44]; Korea | Non-randomized controlled trial | n = 56; I, n = 28; C, n = 28; females, n = 34; males, n = 22 | I, mean age 66+/−7; C, mean age 63+/−11; SBP 130-159 mmHg or DBP 85-99 mmHg; on anti-HTN drugs | SBP > 159 mmHg or DBP > 100 mmHg; uncontrolled hypertension and need urgent change of drug regimen; comorbidity | Cognitive behavior-based forest therapy: HTN management, motivation to make therapeutic changes in lifestyle; practicing mindfulness relaxation techniques in the forest using the five senses | Printed educational materials for HTN management; self-monitoring of BP | 3 days forest program with 8 weeks follow-up monitoring | 27 |
Yu et al., 2017 [45]; Taiwan | Quasi-experimental study | n = 128; females, n = 85 (66.4%); males, n = 43 (33.6%) | Aged 45-86; chronic disease: DM, HT, heart disease, other disease | Not specified | Forest walking | NA | One session, 2 h starting in the morning | 24 |
Zhou et al., 2017 [46]; China | Randomized controlled trial | n = 190 100% male; I, n = 95; C, n = 95 | Average age: 50 years; diagnosed with HT | DM; CAD; CVA | Forest walking | Walking around the highway | 20 sessions, each walk for 2 km; starting at 9:00 am | 23 |