Symposium S-018
Symposium organizer:
Dalia Martinaitienė (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Palanga, Lithuania)
Conference topic:
Environment, Nature and Human Health & Wellbeing – Environment and health.
Session leader / Chair:
Dalia Martinaitienė (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Palanga, Lithuania)
Symposium Contributions
“Walk and Talk” and Climate Change Anxiety – Preliminary Results
Author:
Katarína Matejová (Presenting Author)
Affiliation:
Catholic University in Ružomberok, Ružomberok, Slovakia
The main aim of this paper is to investigate whether differences in physiological state and psychological experience before and after a walk in a natural environment are related to climate change anxiety.
The study includes more than 80 university students in Slovakia who volunteered to participate in the research. Physiological variables measured include heart rate and blood pressure, collected using the Huawei Watch D. To assess the participants’ mental state before and after the walk, several psychological instruments are administered: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Profile of Mood States (POMS-16), and the Zuckerman Inventory of Personal Reactions (ZIPERS). In a separate session, participants complete the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS).
The results reveal significant differences in both physiological and psychological states before and after walking in a natural environment. These include differences in anxiety levels, positive and negative affect, despondency, fatigue, vitality, anger, sadness, and fear. Associations between the magnitude of these changes and levels of climate change anxiety will subsequently be analysed.
The findings will be discussed in relation to the potential of “walk and talk” as an effective strategy for coping with the mental health impacts of climate change among university students.
Funding:
EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia (Project No. 09I03-03-V04-00630).
Keywords:
walk and talk therapy, walk and talk psychological counselling, nature walks, climate change anxiety
We Sense the Nature: The Effect of Weather Sensitivity and Walking in Nature on the Psychophysiological Response to Stress in Individuals with Coronary Artery Disease
Author:
Dalia Martinaitienė (Presenting Author)
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), Palanga, Lithuania
Co-authors:
Francisco Sampaio (Nursing School of Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS@RISE, Portugal)
Zsolt Demetrovics (Flinders University, Australia; ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary; University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar)
Biljana Gjoneska (Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, North Macedonia)
Justina Portačenko (LSMU, Lithuania)
Toma Garbenytė-Apolinskienė (LSMU, Lithuania)
Julius Burkauskas (LSMU, Lithuania)
Nijolė Kažukauskienė (LSMU, Lithuania)
Both physiological and psychological stress are associated with numerous conditions that have systemic health consequences. Increasing evidence highlights the relationship between stress, environmental exposures, and psychophysiological responses. In particular, stress significantly affects processes involved in the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Natural environments are generally associated with faster recovery from stress and mental fatigue compared to urban environments. However, natural environments are not always restorative. Changes in weather conditions can negatively affect hemodynamics and other physiological factors, potentially triggering acute coronary syndromes. Despite this, there is limited knowledge about the restorative or aggravating effects of natural environments on individuals who are sensitive to weather conditions.
To address this gap, a randomized controlled trial was conducted with individuals with CAD undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate stress responses to walking exercises in different environments among individuals with CAD. Additionally, the study examines the role of weather sensitivity (WS) profiles.
Preliminary results are based on 143 individuals with CAD (mean age 57 ± 9 years; 21% women). Data collected include demographics, weather sensitivity, functional capacity, personality traits, mental health indicators, cognitive functioning, and baseline cortisol levels measured in saliva. Participants were randomly assigned to either outdoor or indoor walking conditions. During the experiment, hemodynamic parameters, cortisol levels, and mood were monitored, and a cold stress test was conducted.
Funding:
Research Council of Lithuania Grant No. S-MIP-23-114.
Keywords:
coronary artery disease, weather sensitivity, nature, stress response, walking
Giving Back to Nature: The Influence of Short-Term Behavioral Interventions on a Tree-Planting Initiative
Author:
Biljana Gjoneska (Presenting Author)
Affiliation:
Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, North Macedonia
Co-authors:
University of Ghent and UNU-CRIS, Ghent, Belgium
Maastricht University and UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, Netherlands
Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia
This presentation summarises findings from a global intervention tournament that tested eleven short-term behavioral interventions aimed at increasing climate mitigation behaviours. The study involved 59,440 participants from 63 countries (Vlasceanu et al., 2024).
The presentation focuses particularly on the effectiveness of different intervention strategies in increasing participants’ willingness to engage in an effortful pro-environmental behaviour: contributing to a real tree-planting initiative. This task was presented as a modified version of a work-for-environmental-protection activity.
When controlling for intervention length, five strategies produced positive effects by increasing the number of trees planted compared to the control condition. Other strategies failed to produce positive outcomes and even led to negative effects.
The findings suggest that individuals may be more willing to “give back” to nature when certain psychological intervention strategies are applied. Effective strategies included: binding moral foundations, scientific consensus messaging, dynamic norms, pluralistic ignorance interventions, and system justification framing.
The presentation discusses methodological aspects of the study, explores the findings in more detail, and considers possible explanations for the varying effectiveness of the interventions.
Keywords:
global tournament, behavioral interventions, tree-planting initiative, climate action
Video-Based Learning on Climate Change: Does Value Priming in Educational Videos Affect Willingness for Pro-Environmental Action, Attitudes, and Knowledge?
Author:
Vasiliki Christodoulou (Presenting Author)
Affiliation:
University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus, Larnaka, Cyprus
Co-author:
Kalypso Iordanou (University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus)
Video-based learning formats may enhance attention and engagement when presenting audiovisual educational content on climate change. An important aspect of such videos is the narrative content, which can incorporate emotional and motivational elements to increase engagement.
Beyond simply presenting educational material, climate change videos may incorporate elements that activate viewers’ personal values. Pro-environmental values have previously been studied as drivers of environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, although results have been mixed (Christodoulou et al., 2024; Dunlap et al., 2019).
One possible method for increasing engagement is value priming, a technique used in earlier studies (Bimonte et al., 2020). In this study, 180 students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions:
- a pro-environmental value priming video education condition
- a self-enhancement value priming video education condition
- a control condition
All participants watched an animated educational video featuring a dialogue between two avatars discussing climate change.
The results showed that the experimental conditions increased participants’ sense of individual responsibility for addressing climate change. However, the intervention did not produce changes across all outcome variables. Nevertheless, the findings suggest promising potential for incorporating value-based components into climate change education.
Keywords:
video-based education, climate change education, values priming, students
Environmental Effects on Health and Quality of Life – A Matter of Social Justice? Results from the Environmental Awareness Study in Germany 2024
Author:
Angelika Gellrich (Presenting Author)
Affiliation:
German Environment Agency, Dessau, Germany
Co-author:
Vivian Frick (Institute for Ecological Economy Research, Berlin, Germany)
The German Environment Agency conducts a biennial study examining environmental awareness among the German population. The main focus of the 2024 wave was the perception of relationships between environmental quality, health, and quality of life.
A representative random sample of the German population (N = 2,552) was surveyed online in September and October 2024. Preliminary results show that Germans perceive local environmental quality far more positively than global environmental quality, replicating patterns observed in previous study waves.
Environmental quality in respondents’ neighbourhoods was rated as “good” or “rather good” by 87% of participants, compared to 55% for Germany overall and only 7% for the global environment.
Around 90% of respondents reported satisfaction with drinking water quality, neighbourhood cleanliness, and access to green spaces. However, dissatisfaction was reported regarding air quality (24%), heat protection (26%), public transport connections (36%), and noise levels (32%).
Differences also emerged between social groups. For example, tenants and urban residents reported lower satisfaction with air quality and quietness compared to homeowners and rural residents. Individuals with lower income levels also reported lower satisfaction with access to healthy and affordable food and public transport.
Overall, environmental quality is considered highly relevant for citizens’ health and quality of life, particularly for vulnerable groups. Approximately 90% of participants agreed that protection of human health should be more strongly integrated into environmental and general policy-making.
These findings highlight that a healthy environment is a fundamental prerequisite for public health, particularly in times of crisis.
Keywords:
environmental awareness, environmental quality, health, quality of life, environmental justice
