The restorative potential of Icelandic nature

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This study aimed to investigate if proposed restorative attributes according to attention restoration theory and supportive environment theory could be experienced and identified in Icelandic landscape and contribute to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Main Authors: Kristjánsdóttir, Harpa Lind, Sigurðardóttir, Sigrún, Pálsdóttir, Anna María
Other Authors: University of Akureyri
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Náttúran
Skógar
Landslagsskipulag
Blue health
Forestry
Health promotion
Landscape architecture
Nature-based rehabilitation
Perceived sensory dimensions
Restorative environment
Salutogenesis
Vocational rehabilitation
Pollution
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Health
Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Ísafjörður
Iceland
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/3808
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17239095
Description
Summary:Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This study aimed to investigate if proposed restorative attributes according to attention restoration theory and supportive environment theory could be experienced and identified in Icelandic landscape and contribute to a restorative experience in nature sites in rural Iceland. A prospective mixed-method study was conducted over the period of one year. Seven different nature sites that were considered likely to have restorative qualities were selected for the evaluation i.e., three forest sites, three seashores, and one park in and in the vicinity of Ísafjörður, Iceland. Each site was evaluated regarding how the participants experienced its restorative qualities and how a stay therein affected their mental state. Nature visits were offered once a week, where the participants visited one of the seven locations for two hours. The findings show that the participants perceived and experienced nature sites as having the characteristics of a restorative environment and that staying at the nature sites positively affected their mental state. External conditions, like weather, which can affect nature visits, were rarely a hinderance. Thus, it can be concluded that numerous coastal areas, forests, and parks in Iceland, especially in rural areas, might possess restorative qualities as well. This result shows that wild and open nature in North West Iceland has the characteristics of a restorative environment and can be utilized for health promotion. Peer reviewed

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