Matthew Browning

Clemson University | CU · Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Background: Greenness, referring to a measurement of the density of vegetated land (e.g., gardens, parks, grasslands), has been linked with many human health outcomes. However, the evidence on greenness exposure and human microbiota remains limited, inconclusive, drawn from specific regions, and based on only modest sample size. Objectives: We a...

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset – with data collected between 2020 and 2022 – to asse...

The 3-30-300 rule offers benchmarks for cities to promote equitable nature access. It dictates that individuals should see three trees from their dwelling, have 30% tree canopy in their neighborhood, and live within 300 meters of a high-quality green space. Implementing this demands thorough measurement, monitoring, and evaluation methods. Seven da...

Urban regeneration of urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) is assumed to benefit residents’ mental wellbeing. However, the mechanistic pathways linking UGBS to wellbeing before vs. after regeneration remain unclear. This study assessed the mediating roles of subjective perceptions of the environment and instoration indicators (social capital and phys...

Green space is increasingly known to improve physical and mental health. Based on these benefits, green space might also be expected to help mitigate related harmful behavioral patterns, such as obsessive Internet use and relevant addictions. In response, we conducted a study on smartphone addiction, a new form of Internet addiction. We carried out...

Background: Effects of green space on human health have been well-documented in western, high-income countries. Evidence for similar effects in China is limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms linking green space and mortality are yet to be established. We therefore conducted a nation-wide study to assess the association between green space a...

Associations between neighborhood greenness and socioeconomic status (SES) are established, yet intra-neighborhood context and SES-related barriers to tree planting remain unclear. Large-scale tree planting implementation efforts are increasingly common and can improve human health, strengthen climate adaptation, and ameliorate environmental inequi...

Hyperglycemia is a key risk factor for death and disability worldwide. To better inform prevention strategies, we aimed to delineate and predict the temporal, spatial, and demographic patterns in mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and their related disease burden globally. Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we estimated the dis...

Studies have investigated various aspects of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted college students’ well-being. However, the complex relationships between stress and its correlates have received limited attention. Thus, the main objective of this study is to evaluate multiplicative associations between stress and demographic, lifestyle, and other...

Studies have investigated various aspects of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted college students' well-being. However, the complex relationships between stress and its correlates have received limited attention. Thus, the main objective of this study is to evaluate multiplicative associations between stress and demographic, lifestyle, and other...

This chapter provides an overview of the empirical evidence regarding the association between green space in general, and forests and trees in particular, and health outcomes. The evidence is organised by life stage, and within the three life stages – early life (Section 3.2.), adulthood (Section 3.3.) and the elderly (Section 3.4.) – by type of he...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought digital practices and engagement to the forefront of society, which were based on behavioral changes associated with adhering to different government mandates. Further behavioral changes included transitioning from working in the office to working from home, with the use of various social media and communi...

A growing body of literature has linked exposure to "green space" (vegetation-rich areas) and other forms of nature to mental health. Exposure-outcome associations at regional or national scales can overlook local associations that define how geographically distinct populations may experience nature differently. Large-scale results might downplay t...

Heatwaves and air pollution have become global public health concerns. These environmental hazards are estimated to cause 250,000 annual and 4.2 million total deaths between 2030 and 2050, respectively. South Asia is particularly vulnerable to these impacts. This region has experienced prolonged heatwaves and high annual temperatures, as well as th...

Previous reviews concluded that nature contact was an important coping strategy against poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the quality of evidence in these reviews was not sufficiently documented in terms of the risk of bias in reviewed studies. We attempted to fill this gap with a Navigation Guide systematic review and meta-...

Background Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on...

BACKGROUND Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on...

Understanding natural landscape preferences is essential to creating attractive green spaces that promote the benefits people may receive from nature. Previous research on landscape preference has primarily relied on quantitative, theory-driven approaches that may neglect complex and detailed human feelings and thoughts, as well as still images, wh...

Background: Several studies have evaluated whether the distribution of natural environments differs between marginalized and privileged neighborhoods. However, most studies restricted their analyses to a single or handful of cities and used different natural environment measures. Objectives: We evaluated whether natural environments are inequita...

Exposure to natural environments offers an array of mental health benefits. Virtual reality provides simulated experiences of being in nature when outdoor access is limited. Previous studies on virtual nature have focused mainly on single "doses" of virtual nature. The effects of repeated exposure remain poorly understood. Motivated by this gap, we...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising tool to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 disease at community level through detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. Although WBE has been largely adopted in developed countries as complementary to clinical surveillance, the approach is still not widely applied in low-and-lo...

Do more natural settings improve students’ learning? We collected surveys immediately following 283 U.S.-based environmental education (EE) field trip programs for youth and used land cover data to examine the relationship between levels of naturalness, defined as the percentage of natural land cover of the EE field trip site, and student learning...

Importance Exposure to natural environments has been associated with health outcomes related to neurological diseases. However, the few studies that have examined associations of natural environments with neurological diseases report mixed findings. Objective To evaluate associations of natural environments with hospital admissions for Alzheimer d...

Most spatial epidemiological studies of nature-health relationships use generalized greenspace measures. For instance, coarse-resolution spatial data containing normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) values are prominent despite criticisms, such as the inability to restrain exposure estimates to public and private land. Non-threatening natur...

Introduction Patients with advanced cancer often experience high levels of debilitating pain and pain-related psychological distress. Although there is increasing evidence that non-pharmacological interventions are needed to manage their pain, pharmacologic modalities remain the preferred treatment . Guided imagery is a form of focused relaxation t...

This study aimed to develop a theoretical framework explaining how aspects of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and flow theory explain user attitudes and behavioral intentions in a virtual reality surfing experience. Using data from 251 participants, relationships between the TAM and flow theory concepts were tested with structural equation mo...

The COVID-19 pandemic affected and continues to modify students’ social life and as a result may impact their long-term development. This study is a part of a larger research project focused on the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students. For this manuscript, we employed content analysis to analyze 1,327 quotes related...

Increasing numbers of studies have observed that indoor and outdoor greenery is associated with fewer depressive symptoms during COVID-19 lockdowns. However, most of these studies examined direct associations without sufficient attention to underlying pathways. Furthermore, very few studies have comprehensively combined different indoor and outdoor...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and measures such as lockdowns to control its transmission generated unique effects on psychological health and well-being. In these circumstances, access to nature and outdoor spaces became a potentially important coping strategy, but the evidence exploring the mental health benefits of nature exposure during diffe...

Exposure to natural landscapes can benefit human health. However, several knowledge gaps remain regarding the impacts of duration and cultural differences on the health benefits of nature. If these gaps are filled, designers and planners can better design landscapes for stress recovery. This study examined the effects of durations of virtual exposu...

Social media data are increasingly used to examine associations between environmental exposures and mental wellbeing. In particular, studies highlight that exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOEs) is associated with fewer negative emotions. Also, people in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods tend to benefit more from NOEs than the...

Nature deficit poses critical developmental challenges to the future generations. Louv, for example, stated that children needs adequate nature exposure for healthy development of their sense, learning, and creativity. However, it remains unknown whether individuals having various levels of nature access during childhood may develop different senso...

Numerous studies have highlighted the physical and mental health benefits of contact with nature, typically in landscapes characterized by plants (i.e., “greenspace”) and water (i.e., “bluespace”). However, natural landscapes are not always green or blue, and the effects of other landscapes are worth attention. This narrative review attempts to ove...

Contact with natural environments is associated with good health and well-being. Although childhood nature experiences may be important in the development of an individual's relationship with nature and subsequent well-being, previous studies have tended to focus on ‘nature’ in general, and the mechanisms by which childhood experiences influence we...

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Most spatial epidemiological studies of nature-health relationships use generalized green space measures. For instance, the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) is prominent despite its criticisms, such as its inability to differentiate more public (accessible) vs. private (largely inaccessible) land. Green space’s capacity to improve heal...

Numerous studies have highlighted the physical and mental health benefits of contact with nature, typically in landscapes characterized by plants (i.e., “greenspace”) and water (i.e., “bluespace”). However, natural landscapes are not always green or blue, and the effects of other landscapes are worth attention. This narrative review attempts to ove...

Background: Given the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly among military personnel, new treatment approaches are needed. One may be virtual relaxation interventions, especially 360-degree nature videos, since studies have demonstrated their relaxation effects for healthy participants. If these relaxation effects can be...

Natural environments have been linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease (RSD) mortality. However, few cohort studies have looked at associations of natural environments with CVD or RSD hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate these associations in a cohort of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries (∼63 mil...

Teachers wishing to offer lessons in nature may hold back for fear of leaving students keyed up and unable to concentrate in subsequent, indoor lessons. This study tested the hypothesis that lessons in nature have positive—not negative—aftereffects on subsequent classroom engagement. Using carefully matched pairs of lessons (one in a relatively nat...

Residential green space is among the most accessible types of urban green spaces and may help maintain mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is insufficiently understood how residents use residential green space for exercise during the epidemic. The pathways between residential green space and mental health also merit further expl...

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic brought digital practices and engagement to the forefront of society, which were based on behavioral changes associated with adhering to different government mandates. Further behavioral changes included transitioning from working in the office to working from home, with the use of various social media and communica...

Exposure to blue spaces may promote psychological wellbeing and reduce mental distress. Whether these effects extend to suicide is unknown. We used register data from 14 million Dutch adults aged 18–64-years between 2007 and 2016 in a nested case-control study to estimate associations between blue space exposures and suicide risk. Each suicide case...

A novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 has spread globally and brought a public health emergency to all nations. To respond to the pandemic, the Bangladesh Government imposed a nationwide lockdown that may have degraded mental health among residents, in particular , university students and working professionals. We examined clinically signif...

A pandemic has ravaged the world. Now, a war has generated a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the Russian military invaded Ukraine unprovoked and unwarranted. As of writing this letter, Russian troops have edged closer to the Capital city; seized control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant and attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear...

Healthcare students are clinicians-in-training likely to come into contact with COVID-19 as much as other frontline healthcare professionals. It is therefore necessary to prioritize vaccinations for this group. We conducted a global systematic assessment of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and related factors among healthcare students using the Pu...

Exposure to nature can improve psychological well-being such as attention restoration. These restorative benefits may be provided by windows looking onto nature, yet studies on the restorative qualities of windows have largely taken place in calm environments where restoration demands are relatively low. Thus, the restorative effects of windows in...

Physical activity is essential to maintain physical and mental health. Unfortunately, insufficient physical activity has become a common phenomenon worldwide in the past decade, and the absence of interest in physical activity is assumed a reason. Therefore, strategies for fostering interests and promoting public engagement are in need. We conducte...

Share Link (valid before June 24, 2022): https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1f14Z_WjFP6-jw Background: Behavior problems in children are shaped by a complex intertwining of environmental, social, and biological factors. This study investigated whether more nature exposure was associated with less behavior problems and whether these associations were m...

Background University students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 are vital to prevent the spread of the virus, especially in the context of developing countries. Consequently, the present study aimed to determine the KAP levels of university students and associated anxiety during the earlier stage of the pandemic in Banglades...

While COVID-19 lockdowns have slowed coronavirus transmission, such structural measures also have unintended consequences on mental and physical health. Growing evidence shows that exposure to the natural environment (e.g., blue-green spaces) can improve human health and wellbeing. In this narrative review, we synthesized the evidence about nature'...

The COVID-19 pandemic affected every area of students’ lives, especially their education. Limited research has explored students’ experiences during the pandemic. This study documents how students across seven United States universities viewed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their educational experiences and how these students reacted to the...

Background and objective Prior studies have shown higher green cover levels are associated with beneficial health outcomes. We sought to determine if residential green cover was also associated with direct healthcare costs. Methods We linked residential Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) satellite data for 5,189,303 members of Kaiser Pe...

Residential green spaces, arguably the most accessible type of urban green space, may have lasting impacts on children and even change their lives later in adulthood. However, the potential pathways from childhood residential green space to adulthood mental wellbeing are not well understood. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire survey among Chin...

Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic. Despite the development of safe and efficacious vaccinations, low-and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) continue to encounter barriers to care owing to inequitable access and vaccine apprehension. This study aimed to summarize the available data on COVID-19 vaccin...

https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1dhT53Ao5y1Ng Background Early life environments may influence children's blood pressure (BP), but evidence on the combined effects of natural and built environment exposures is scarce. The present study investigates the associations of natural and built environment indicators, traffic noise, and air pollution with B...

Opioid consumption, both legal and illicit, has risen precipitously in the past few decades in the U.S., as has the number of deaths due to the use and misuse of opioids. Exposure to green spaces might help to alleviate the problematic levels of opioid use, as such exposure has been tied to health benefits relevant to opioid use. To explore the pot...

The beneficial association between nature contact and human health is often explained with psycho-evolutionary frameworks such as stress reduction theory and the savanna hypothesis. However, evidence is limited on how natural environments that are not green affect stress. One example is the desert, which does not offer affordances for nourishment o...

Trait emotional intelligence reflects a set of self-perceptions and behavioral tendencies to empathize with others and manage one's own emotions. Trait emotional intelligence is a valuable characteristic since it can aid social interaction, bolster subjective wellbeing, and predict career success. Past research suggests that brief exposures to gree...

A growing literature shows that green space can have protective effects on human health. As a marginalized group, women often have worse life outcomes than men, including disparities in some health outcomes. Given their marginalization, women might have “more to gain” than men from living near green spaces. Yet, limited research has deliberately st...

Exposure to green space has been proposed to be beneficially associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many studies have explored this topic, but the results remain conflicting. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological evidence on this topic by performing a systematic review with meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Web of Science and E...

Historically, humans have interacted with soils, which contain a rich source of microorganisms. Fruit and vegetable gardening is the primary interaction humans have with soil today. Animal research reveals that soil microorganisms can be transferred to the rodent intestine. However, studies on fecal and soil microbial changes associated with garden...