World Conference on “Forests for Public Health” Athens, Greece, 8-11 May 2019: Abstract Book

Athen

World Conference on “Forests for Public Health Organizing and Scientific Committee

2019

122 S.

Monographie

204958

Forest Medicine, Forest therapy, Health Policies, practices, economics and culture of Forests for Public Health ; Mental Health benefits of exposure to Nature ; Planning physical activities in Forest/Natural environment for Public health ; Urban forestry and Green spaces planning and design for human activity ; Urban Forests and their ecosystem services for Public Health ; Forest Medicine, Forest therapy, Health Policies, practices, economics and culture of Forests for Public Health ; Mental Health benefits of exposure to Nature ; Planning physical activities in Forest/Natural environment for Public health ; Urban forestry and Green spaces planning and design for human activity ; Urban Forests and their ecosystem services for Public Health
Urbanization and modern lifestyle changes have diminished possibilities for human contact with nature in many societies. At the same time, many societies today face increasing incidence of poor physical and mental health associated with chronic stress, insufficient physical activity and exposure to anthropogenic environmental hazards that cannot be addressed by medicine and technology alone.
Contributing factors include increasingly sedentary occupations and lifestyles, increasing levels of mental stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices, and hazardous urban environmental conditions such as noise, heat stress, and air-pollution. They contribute not only to public health problems and increased expenditures for health care systems, but also lower productivity at work, increased work absenteeism, and other costly outcomes.
Natural elements and spaces such as trees, forests, urban and peri-urban forests, urban parks, gardens and green spaces have been seen as providing opportunities to ameliorate such trends. There is a growing body of evidence on positive relations between exposure to such natural environments and diverse human health indicators. One key message emerging is that contact with nature improves psychological health by reducing pre-existing stress levels, enhancing mood, enabling the recovery of cognitive abilities like directed attention, and in other ways supporting restorative processes and protecting them from the effects of future stressors.
Additionally, urban and ex-urban forests and green spaces may provide walkways and spaces for nature-based activities that may have not only preventive effects on the life-style related diseases but also enhance people’s health in general.