Health Promotion, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, The Capital Region of Denmark, Niels Steensens Vej 6, DK-2820 Gentofte, Denmark.
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Nødebovej 77A, DK-3480 Fredensborg, Denmark.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 May 28;15(6):1098. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061098.
Stress during childhood can have mental and somatic health influences that track throughout life. Previous research attributes stress-reducing effects to natural environments, but has mainly focused on adults and often following leisurely relaxation in natural environments. This pilot study explores the impact of natural environments on stress response during rest and mental load and cognitive performance in 47 children aged 10⁻12 years in a school context. Heart rate variability measures indexing tonic, event, and phasic vagal tone and attention scores were compared across classroom and natural environments. Tonic vagal tone was higher in the natural environment than the classrooms, but no differences were found in event or phasic vagal tone or cognitive performance measures. These findings suggest a situational aspect of the conditions under which natural environments may give rise to stress-buffering influences. Further research is warranted to understand the potential benefits in a real-life context, in particular with respect to the underpinning mechanisms and effects of accumulated exposure over time in settings where children spend large proportions of time in natural environments.
儿童期的压力会对身心健康产生影响，并会持续影响人的一生。先前的研究将压力缓解作用归因于自然环境，但主要集中在成年人身上，而且通常是在自然环境中悠闲放松时进行。本初步研究探索了自然环境对 47 名 10-12 岁儿童在学校环境下休息、心理负荷和认知表现期间应激反应的影响。在课堂和自然环境中比较了心率变异性测量指标（紧张、事件和阶段性迷走神经张力）和注意力评分。自然环境中的紧张迷走神经张力高于教室，但在事件或阶段性迷走神经张力或认知表现测量中没有发现差异。这些发现表明，自然环境可能产生压力缓冲影响的条件具有情境性。需要进一步研究以了解现实生活环境中的潜在益处，特别是在儿童在自然环境中花费大量时间的情况下，随着时间的推移，了解潜在的机制和累积暴露的影响。
