Actual and Virtual Parks Benefit Quality of Life and Physical Activity: A Cluster Trial

AbstractUrban parks provide connectedness to nature as a health resilience environment for promoting health. Virtual reality can provide opportunities for urban citizens to be exposed to natural elements with health benefits. The purpose was to explore the effects of actual and virtual parks on the quality of life and physical activity of urban residents. The study design was a cluster trial. Participants were healthy adults aged 20 –50 years, recruited from three college campuses, and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (n = 30, 32) and one control group (n = 30). The intervention with virtual or actual parks was conducted for 30 min a session once a week for 12 weeks. Outcomes were measured using self-reported questionnaires, including the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Scale-BREF and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Sho rt Form. In total, 84 participants completed the interventions and post-intervention measures. Results showed that participants who experienced actual parks had significant increases in the social quality of life and light-intensity physical activity and had decreased body weight. Participants who e xperienced the virtual parks experienced a significant increase in their mental quality of life. Participants in the experimental groups of both kinds of parks had significant improvements in their self-rated health, physical and environmental quality of life, and sedentary time after the interventi on. Urban parks a...
Source: Journal of Urban Health - Category: Health Management Source Type: research