Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing): A Scoping Review of the Global Research on the Effects of Spending Time in Nature.

Background: This Scoping review (ScR) builds upon the 2017 review conducted by Hansen et al which contributed to evidence base shinrin-yoku (SY), also known as forest bathing (FB), has many positive health effects and is becoming a prescribed dose (specific time spent in nature) by health care providers. Practice and research regarding SY, has been historically based in Asian countries with a recent increase in Europe. The need and call for more research worldwide continues to further the evidence of SY as a health promotion modality. Through this ScR the authors identified programmatic components, health information monitored and screened, time spent in nature, geographical regions, trends, and themes in SY research worldwide. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines we searched across 7 electronic databases for SY or FB research articles from 2017 through 2022. PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, Embase, JSTOR were included due to the interdisciplinary nature of SY or FB research. Each database provided unique strengths ensuring a capture of a wide range of articles. The resulting articles were screened and extracted through Covidence. Results: Database searches returned 241 results, with 110 references removed during the deduplication process, 131 were initially screened in the title and abstract review stage. Resulting in 82 unique results deemed relevant and screened in full text. During the final stage of the review, 63 articles met all inclusion criteria and were extracted for data. Conclusions: The practice of SY has physiological (PHYS) and psychological (PSYCH) benefits across age groups. Research findings indicate either the natural or the virtual environment (VW) has significant health benefits. Continued research is encouraged globally for short- and long-term health outcomes for all individuals. The connection with nature benefits the mind, body and soul and is supported by Henry David Thoreau's philosophy: "Our livesneed the relief of where the pine flourishes and the jay still scream."

Identifying Holistic Nursing Research Priorities for 2023-2026.

The primary goal of holistic nursing research is to develop and expand the knowledge base of holism and healing for nursing praxis. This article provides an overview of the process used to identify the research priorities for holistic nursing research over the next 3 to 5 years. A mixed method design using Appreciative Inquiry and surveys revealed five research priorities and the holistic philosophical foundation for these priorities. Additionally, new challenges in the environment, person, health, and nursing will undoubtedly emerge, requiring nurses to discern the research needs beyond 2026. This work seeks to inspire holistic nurses to consider research related to the American Holistic Nurses Association's five key research priorities.

An Integrative Review of the Utilization of the Perceived Stress Scale in Stroke Recovery.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors (SS) may experience alterations in physical and cognitive processes that increase stress and reduce well-being. Timely and accurate measurement of stress throughout the continuum of recovery is necessary to inform targeted interventions that will improve quality of life for this group. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the utilization of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) during recovery in SS. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Studies were included if they captured primary data collection using any version of the PSS at any time point in the poststroke recovery period and were published in English between 2011 and 2022. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were excluded. Evidence was synthesized, and themes were discussed. RESULTS: Among 397 studies, a total of 13 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 8 were cross-sectional studies, 3 were longitudinal studies, 1 was a randomized controlled trial, and the remaining study was a prospective nonrandomized trial. The PSS-10 (n = 7, 54%) was the most used version of the instrument, followed by the PSS-14 (n = 3, 23%) and PSS-4 (n = 2, 15.4%), with the modified PSS-10 being used in only 1 (7.6%) study. The PSS surveys were administered at various time points, ranging from the first day of admission to 3, 6, 9, or 12 months after discharge. Perceived stress may continue to negatively influence SS's psychological and physical well-being throughout the chronic phase of recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Stress is a unique and individualized experience that influences recovery trajectories in SS, an experience often overlooked or marginalized by clinicians and healthcare providers. To help mobilize strategies to achieve long-term health and wellness goals, future studies should explore and tailor interventions to minimize the influence of stress, as identified by the PSS, on well-being and quality of life during poststroke recovery.

Detection of COVID-19 using multimodal data from a wearable device: results from the first TemPredict Study.

Early detection of diseases such as COVID-19 could be a critical tool in reducing disease transmission by helping individuals recognize when they should self-isolate, seek testing, and obtain early medical intervention. Consumer wearable devices that continuously measure physiological metrics hold promise as tools for early illness detection. We gathered daily questionnaire data and physiological data using a consumer wearable (Oura Ring) from 63,153 participants, of whom 704 self-reported possible COVID-19 disease. We selected 73 of these 704 participants with reliable confirmation of COVID-19 by PCR testing and high-quality physiological data for algorithm training to identify onset of COVID-19 using machine learning classification. The algorithm identified COVID-19 an average of 2.75 days before participants sought diagnostic testing with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 63%. The receiving operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was 0.819 (95% CI [0.809, 0.830]). Including continuous temperature yielded an AUC 4.9% higher than without this feature. For further validation, we obtained SARS CoV-2 antibody in a subset of participants and identified 10 additional participants who self-reported COVID-19 disease with antibody confirmation. The algorithm had an overall ROC AUC of 0.819 (95% CI [0.809, 0.830]), with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 80% in these additional participants. Finally, we observed substantial variation in accuracy based on age and biological sex. Findings highlight the importance of including temperature assessment, using continuous physiological features for alignment, and including diverse populations in algorithm development to optimize accuracy in COVID-19 detection from wearables.

Metrics from Wearable Devices as Candidate Predictors of Antibody Response Following Vaccination against COVID-19: Data from the Second TemPredict Study.

There is significant variability in neutralizing antibody responses (which correlate with immune protection) after COVID-19 vaccination, but only limited information is available about predictors of these responses. We investigated whether device-generated summaries of physiological metrics collected by a wearable device correlated with post-vaccination levels of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the target of neutralizing antibodies generated by existing COVID-19 vaccines. One thousand, one hundred and seventy-nine participants wore an off-the-shelf wearable device (Oura Ring), reported dates of COVID-19 vaccinations, and completed testing for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD during the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination rollout. We found that on the night immediately following the second mRNA injection (Moderna-NIAID and Pfizer-BioNTech) increases in dermal temperature deviation and resting heart rate, and decreases in heart rate variability (a measure of sympathetic nervous system activation) and deep sleep were each statistically significantly correlated with greater RBD antibody responses. These associations were stronger in models using metrics adjusted for the pre-vaccination baseline period. Greater temperature deviation emerged as the strongest independent predictor of greater RBD antibody responses in multivariable models. In contrast to data on certain other vaccines, we did not find clear associations between increased sleep surrounding vaccination and antibody responses.

A Conceptual Model of the Influence of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Stress and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Conditions.

Individuals with chronic conditions are susceptible to stress-related health complications. Left unattended, chronic stress exacerbates inflammation, diminishes quality of life (QOL), and increases all-cause mortality. Here, we suggest a theoretical framework promoting the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in patients with chronic conditions and a conceptual model of how MBIs may influence stress and QOL.