Abstract

The presence of stress and its effects on the lives of many people throughout the world is a major health issue in society. A growing number of studies have shown that visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress, increase psychological well-being, and support recovery from illness and disease. This study examined the effects of visitation to a natural environment area on levels of stress as measured by cortisol. Participants were asked to give pre-visit and post-visit samples of saliva. Salivary cortisol was used as a biological indicator of stress (dependent variable) along with the independent variables of sex, length of duration of visit, and age. Based on a sample size of 47, significant reductions in levels of cortisol were noted immediately after visiting a local municipal natural area when compared to those levels of cortisol upon arriving. In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between levels of cortisol reduction and length of visit.