Table 2.
Study characteristics.
| Author | Year | Country | Sample | Intervention | Measures | Findings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Mean Age (Years) | Gender | ||||||
| Janeczko et al. [13] | 2020 | Poland | A total of 75 university students walking in deciduous forests, coniferous forests, green suburbs, and apartment suburbs | 30 min 2 km walk | Profile of Mood States (POMS) | Differences between the groups showed the reduction of depression following the intervention | ||
| Song et al. [11] | 2018 | Japan | A total of 585 male students walking in urban areas or forests | 21.7 (1.6) | 585 M, 0 F | 15 min walk | POMS and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | Nature walks significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and trait anxiety compared to urban walks |
| Korpela et al. [9] | 2016 | Finland | A total of 13 clinical depression patients were randomly assigned to urban and nature walk conditions | 48 (median 52) (29–59) | 4 M, 9 F | 2 h/week walks for 8 weeks | Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) | Depression reduced from pre-walk to post-walk period and in the 3-month follow up |
| Marselle et al. [10] | 2019 | England | A total of 1516 participants | 88% age ≥ 55 | 34%M:66%F | A 13-month nature walk intervention. Participants in group walking and non-walking conditions | A 10-item major depressive inventory | A greater benefit on depression observed for the walking group compared to the non-walking group |
| Iwata et al. [21] | 2016 | Ireland | A total of 15 clinical patients | 47 (32–72) | 3 M:12 F | 2 h/week walks for 13 weeks. A total of 10 min warm-up, 1–1.5 h forest walk, 30 min refreshments in the forest | Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and BDI | The levels of depression significantly lowered in the HDRS (11.84–5.98) and BDI (36.8%) after exercise |
| Gotink et al. [14] | 2016 | Netherlands | A total of 29 participants | 54.3 (9.0) | 31%M:69%F | A 1-day walking retreat in a group (accompanied by a mindfulness teacher), 3-day walking retreat in a group (accompanied by 2 mindfulness teachers), 6 days + solitary walking retreat | The Dutch version of the Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS-21) | Improvements to depression levels, however not statistically significant |
| Shin et al. [12] | 2013 | Korea | A total fo 139 participants | 18–25 | 0 M, 139 F | Athletic walking in the gymnasium (AG) group, athletic walking in the forest (AF) group, meditative walking in the gymnasium (MG) group, and meditative walking in the forest (MF) group | State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X | Meditative walking had a more significant effect on depression than athletic walking |