Daniela Jezova, Natasa Hlavacova, Lucia Karailievova, Ekiawan Lamatungga Kiki, Julia Halamova, Dhanalakshmi Tamatam, Magdalena Pichlerova, Viliam Pichler
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, 845 05, Slovak Republic.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):22087. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-08378-4.
The main hypothesis of this study in older adults is that repeated walks in a forest but not an urban environment for one month lead to reduced chronic stress compared to the previous month without any intervention. This was achieved by the measurement of cumulative cortisol concentrations in hair. Older adults of both sexes (n = 54; 71 ± 6.2 years) participated in a randomised, parallel-group trial. They were randomly assigned to a forest or an urban walking group. They completed two 40-minute walking sessions per week over one month. Hair samples and morning, as well as afternoon salivary samples, were collected at baseline and following one month of walking interventions.A significant reduction in cumulative hair cortisol was observed during the month of repeated forest but not urban walking compared to the previous month, indicating decreased chronic stress. Salivary cortisol concentrations decreased in the forest group only. No differences in salivary alpha-amylase activity were noticed. Walking activities had no negative impact on the diurnal rhythmicity of stress markers. Quality of life measures showed improvements in emotional well-being in the forest group. A negative correlation was found between hair cortisol and certain quality of life dimensions in urban but not forest groups. Repeated forest walks affect objective measures of chronic stress in older adults, evidenced by lower cumulative hair cortisol concentrations and improved emotional well-being. These findings encourage incorporating forest-based interventions into mental health programs for older adults aimed at enhancing well-being, stress coping, and cognitive functions.
本研究针对老年人的主要假设是，与前一个月未经任何干预相比，在森林中而非城市环境中进行为期一个月的反复散步可减轻慢性压力。这是通过测量头发中皮质醇的累积浓度来实现的。男女老年人（n = 54；71 ± 6.2岁）参与了一项随机平行组试验。他们被随机分配到森林或城市步行组。他们在一个月内每周完成两次40分钟的步行活动。在基线时以及步行干预一个月后，收集头发样本以及上午和下午的唾液样本。与前一个月相比，在反复进行森林步行而非城市步行的那个月，观察到头发中皮质醇的累积量显著减少，表明慢性压力有所降低。仅森林组的唾液皮质醇浓度下降。未发现唾液α-淀粉酶活性存在差异。步行活动对压力标志物的昼夜节律没有负面影响。生活质量测量结果显示，森林组的情绪幸福感有所改善。在城市组而非森林组中，发现头发皮质醇与某些生活质量维度之间存在负相关。反复进行森林步行会影响老年人慢性压力的客观指标，头发中皮质醇累积浓度降低以及情绪幸福感改善证明了这一点。这些发现鼓励将基于森林的干预措施纳入针对老年人的心理健康项目，以提高幸福感、增强压力应对能力和认知功能。
