Forest bathing: a narrative review of the effects on health for outdoor and environmental education use in Canada

Abstract

Education and health professionals from a range of disciplines seek alternatives to promote well-being through nature. Shinrin Yoku, originating from Japan, means “forest baths” or “taking in the forest atmosphere” and provides the opportunity to reconnect with nature and its benefits, with great potential in Canada. This brief review aims to highlight the potential for the use of Shinrin Yoku in the Canadian context of education and healthcare. We conducted a narrative literature review including a search of four French and English databases (Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, Cairn) from 1985 to 2017. Then, we classified 26 articles according to three main categories that emerged from the first reading of the abstracts. Benefits of Shinrin Yoku have been classified into physiological, psychological, and environmental categories. We analyzed the potential for use of this alternative intervention by educators and health professionals in Canada. A growing body of research suggests that Shinrin Yoku can have benefits on many aspects of an individual’s health and well-being. Given the resources already available in Canada, Shinrin Yoku could be integrated into existing programs and interventions, and could provide another option to educators and healthcare professionals seeking low-risk educational and intervention alternatives for their students and patients.

Full text

REVIEW PAPER
Forest bathing: a narrative review of the effects
on health for outdoor and environmental education
use in Canada
Sandrine Mathias
1
&Patrick Daigle
2,3
&Kelsey Needham Dancause
4
&
Tegwen Gadais
4
#Outdoor Education Australia 2020
Abstract
Education and health professionals from a range of disciplines seek alternatives to
promote well-being through nature. Shinrin Yoku, originating from Japan, means
“forest baths”or “taking in the forest atmosphere”and provides the opportunity to
reconnect with nature and its benefits, with great potential in Canada. This brief review
aims to highlight the potential for the use of Shinrin Yoku in the Canadian context of
education and healthcare. We conducted a narrative literature review including a search
of four French and English databases (Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, Cairn) from
1985 to 2017. Then, we classified 26 articles according to three main categories that
emerged from the first reading of the abstracts. Benefits of Shinrin Yoku have been
classified into physiological, psychological, and environmental categories. We ana-
lyzed the potential for use of this alternative intervention by educators and health
professionals in Canada. A growing body of research suggests that Shinrin Yoku can
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00058-3
*Tegwen Gadais
gadais.tegwen@uqam.ca
Sandrine Mathias
sandrine.ferfache@yahoo.fr
Patrick Daigle
daigle.patrick@uqam.ca
Kelsey Needham Dancause
dancause.kelsey_needham@uqam.ca
1
International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine (INFOM), Osaka, Japan
2
Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal,
QC, Canada
3
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Montréal, QC, Canada
4
Département des sciences de l’activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, 141, Avenue
du Président Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada

have benefits on many aspects of an individual’s health and well-being. Given the
resources already available in Canada, Shinrin Yoku could be integrated into existing
programs and interventions, and could provide another option to educators and
healthcare professionals seeking low-risk educational and intervention alternatives for
their students and patients.
Keywords Forest bath .Shinrin Yoku .Interventions .Literature review .Physiology .
Psychology
Introduction
Stress has widespread mental and physical health implications for individuals and
societies, and has become a major public health priority (Lovallo 2015). An increasing
lack of contact with nature is one currently discussed factor underlying psychosocial
stress among children and adults today (Bowler et al. 2010; Cardinal 2010). Youth who
lack contact with nature have the tendency to remain disconnected from nature as adults
(Larouche et al. 2016;Bowleretal.2010). Thus, there is an interest and need for the
development and promotion of alternative interventions that help to connect youth with
nature.
Many educators, health professionals and social scientists, from a range of disci-
plines, seek alternatives to traditional interventions or therapies to promote well-being
(Blanchet-Cohen and Elliot 2011; Bierle and Singletary 2008; Gatzemann et al. 2008;
Gadais et al. 2017). One such alternative named differently, sylvotherapy,forest
therapy or Shinrin Yoku,translatesto“forest baths”and can also be interpreted as
“taking in the forest atmosphere”or “care by the forest.”Sylvotherapy was born in
Japan decades ago (Tsunetsugu et al. 2010), and the country has established training
and research programs on the practice. It is part of the emerging trend of natural
therapies that promote a rediscovery of the benefits of nature. Sylvotherapy provides
the opportunity to reconnect with our true nature by removing ourselves for a time from
the performance requirements of the modern life (Papillon and Dodier 2011).
Shinrin Yoku
In theory, the idea of Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing is simple: a person simply visits a
natural area and walks in a relaxed way. Practitioners leave aside their phone, camera or
any other distractions to be fully present in the experience. They pause from time to
time to look more closely at a leaf or to notice the sensation of the path beneath their
feet. These leisurely walks under a forest canopy can be combined with guided
activities to help a person to open their senses, hone their intuition and experience
the forest as they never have before. Sessions of Shinrin Yoku are essentially designed
by incorporating mindfulness meditation practices and techniques of deep nature
connection mentoring.
The calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits of forest bathing have perhaps
always been known intuitively, but in recent decades scientific studies have gone some
way to revealing how simply being in wild areas has healing effects. A number of
studies from Japan and South Korea have demonstrated health benefits of spending
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

time under the canopy of the living forest (Han et al. 2016;Hansenetal.2017;Kim
et al. 2009; Lee et al. 2011;Li2010; Li and Kawada 2011;Lietal.2008). However,
more investigation is required. A systematic review conducted by Kamioka et al.
(2012) showed the difficulty of comparing results across studies because of poor
methodological quality and a lack of description in reports, while another conducted
by Oh et al. (2017) focused on the benefits of spending time in forests and highlighted
positive health effects, but not enough to generate clinical practice guidelines.
A training guide exists for Shinrin Yoku in Japan, but it is not translated into other
language and is thus not widely used internationally. The Association of Nature and
Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (Association of Nature and Forest Therapy
Guides and Programs 2019) offers some regular week-long training sessions in Europe
and the United States; and the first guides trained through this association are beginning
to practice in North America. However, research on the health effects of Shinrin Yoku
remains limited in Western countries (Morita et al. 2007;Hansenetal.2017), and
opportunities to practice Shinrin Yoku and its potential to offer a positive intervention
is still not widely known among educators and health professionals in North America.
However, given the public interest in forest bathing, its simplicity and limited risk, and
the potential for applying it in Canada, a brief review to familiarize outdoor and
environmental professionals with this natural intervention is timely.
The emerging development of an intervention with high health potential
in Canada
In Canada, the context and environment both seem well adapted to use Shinrin
Yoku. Forest and nature opportunities are vast in all Canadian provinces. Forests and
wooded areas constitute 40% of Canada’s land area, and 92% of this is publicly
owned (Canadian Council of Forest Ministers 2018). Furthermore, forests have been
and remain an important part of Canada’s economy and tradition, and are viewed as
an integral part of Canadian culture and lifestyle (Sustainable Forest Management in
Canada 2019; Parks Canada 2019). As such, an extensive infrastructure exists to
promote public access to forests, such as Parks Canada, which manages a nationwide
system of natural areas across 39 natural regions (Parks Canada 2019); and provin-
cial organizations such as the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec
(SÉPAQ, Society of outdoor recreation establishments of Quebec), which manages
its own system of 24 provincial parks, in collaboration with Parks Canada (SÉPAQ
2019). These organizations are responsible for both conservation of natural spaces,
as well as promoting access to visitors, and provide an existing network within
which Shinrin Yoku could be implemented and promoted.
Even within urban areas, parks and green spaces are widely accessible in Canada.
Results from the 2013 “Households and the Environment Survey”showed 85% of
Canadian households report that they lived close to a park or green space (Statistics
Canada 2015). Practitioners could capitalize on these spaces to offer more regular
opportunities for Shinrin Yoku within cities. Finally, the growth of educational pro-
grams at all levels specifically focused on environmental and outdoor education, and
government support for these programs, highlights not only the strong public interest in
promoting access to natural spaces, but is also resulting in a new growth of
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

professionals trained to offer and adapt these opportunities to a diverse clientele
(Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’Network 2006).
We are currently witnessing the timid emergence of the practice of forest bathing,
promoted by organizations such as Shinrin Yoku Québec (Shinrin Yoku Quebec
2019) and similar organizations offering holistic health workshops (Domaine
VieNergie 2019). Public interest in the practice is growing; in 2016, the journal La
Presse published a popular article on Shinrin Yoku (Allard 2016) and in 2017, Radio
Canada published an interview with the founder of Shinrin Yoku Québec (Radio
Canada 2017). Some provincial parks management organizations, such as Ontario
Parks, have even begun to specifically discuss forest bathing in their marketing and
outreach campaigns (Ontario Parks 2019). The arguments put forward by Japanese
practitioners in favor of Shinrin Yoku seem to fit the reality of Canadian provinces
and the interests of education and healthcare professionals to seek intervention
alternatives.
Aim of the paper
An exhaustive review of research on sylvotherapy and human health has been recently
published, highlighting the benefits of sylvotherapy on multiple health outcomes, as
well as its limitations (Hansen et al. 2017). Here, we strive to synthesize some key
physiological and psychological benefits of the therapy to promote its incorporation
into interventions, and to highlight the potential for the use of sylvotherapy in Canada.
We hope this review could help professionals in Canadian provinces to consider
Shinrin Yoku as an alternative to promote health and well-being throughout the
country, outside of or in collaboration with existing interventions in school, hospital
or healthcare networks.
Literature review methods
A narrative literature review was conducted because it is a comprehensive, critical and
objective analysis of the current knowledge on a topic. This kind of review helps to
establish a theoretical framework and focus or context for our research on Shirin Yoku
topic. This narrative literature review was developed based on methods used in
systematic reviews (Cooper et al. 2018) and was conducted in two stages. The first
stage consisted of an exhaustive search (Step 1a; Table 1) of four French and English
databases of academic material (Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, Cairn) for the
period from 1985 to 2017. Databases were chosen to cover a broad range of research
Table 1 (Step 1a) Preselection on four databases (2194 results)
Data bases Google Scholar PubMed Scopus Cairn
Period 1985–2017 1985–2017 1985–2017 1985–2017
Results 799 74 106 1215
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

across health sciences and education, to maximize the likelihood of finding relevant
articles.
Searches were conducted using the following key words: Sylvotherapy, Shinrin
Yoku, tree therapy, forest baths, tree care, tree health, forest health, forest therapy,
forest care, nature care, nature therapy, stress and trees, stress and nature, stress and
forest. In total, 2194 articles were identified at this stage. Then (Step 1b), a first review
of the titles and abstracts was completed by the first two authors of this article in order
to screen for relevant articles based on the inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were
articles: a) published between 1985 up to 2017, b) peer-review, c) on Shirin Yoku or
Forest bath topic, d) open access online. We included peer-reviewed English-language
articles published after 1985 and before 2017. Articles that were not peer-reviewed, and
those not specifically focused on Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing, were excluded.
Excluding duplicates, 23 articles were selected and 3 were added from other databases
from recommendation of the third and the fourth authors of this paper. One of these
included a non-peer-reviewed work (Plaisance 1985) that we retained in the current
review because of its importance in promoting awareness of potential health benefits of
forest bathing in Western countries. Thus, a total of 26 articles met the objectives of this
research and were included in this narrative review.
In a second stage, articles selected in Step 1b were classified according to three main
categories (physiological, psychological, and environmental benefits) that emerged
Table 2 Effects of silvicultural therapy according to the scientific literature
Benefits related to the environment
Limited presence of microbes and decreased pollutants
Exposure to better air quality (oxygen enriched air)
Liberation of antibiotic molecules by trees
Emission of essential oils
Colors and natural forms
Natural ambient sounds
Physiolog ical effects
Strengthening the immune system
Strengthening the respiratory system
Decreased level of cortisol
Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Increased number and activity of anti-cancer cells (NK)
Strengthening the activity of the nervous system parasympathetic
Decreased activity of the sympathetic system
Psychological effects
Decrease of stress
Improved nervous balance (control of emotions)
Decreased aggressiveness
Improved mood
Improved intellectual performance (memory)
Relaxation
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

from the first reading of the abstracts. These categories were chosen because of their
relevance to the potential to apply Shinrin Yoku for health and education purposes. The
first and second authors conducted this classification.
Claimed effects of Shinrin Yoku
Our review of the full text of articles highlighted three main categories of potential
benefits of Shinrin Yoku relevant to health professionals and educators. These included
physiological, psychological, and environmental benefits. Table 2summarizes the
results of scientific studies demonstrating the effects of sylvotherapy.
Claims of health benefit related to the environment
Many benefits of sylvotherapy are thought to stem from direct contact with the natural
environment. First, the forest atmosphere is highly oxygenated and is largely free of
many of the environmental pollutants found in urban environments (Plaisance 1985;
Karjalainen et al. 2010; Escuté-Gasulla et al. 2015), as the deposition of pollutants to the
canopy and the reduction of air temperature through shading and transpiration in
woodland areas can improve air quality (Karjalainen et al. 2010;Nowak2002).
Furthermore, trees naturally secrete antibiotic molecules that are found in the forest
atmosphere, including phytoncides, which are volatile antibiotic substances with anti-
microbial effects (Plaisance 1985). Recent studies show that phytoncides can induce
lymphocyte activity in humans (Li et al. 2006; Karjalainen et al. 2010), which might
represent an underlying mechanism linking forest bathing to enhanced immune function
(Li 2010). Also, exposure to negative ions in the forest atmosphere has been thought to
hold beneficial effects for human health (Plaisance 1985;Monce2018). Recent studies
show few effects of negative ions on anxiety, mood, relaxation, and comfort, but show
some evidence that exposure to high-density negative air ionization predicts lower
depressive symptoms (Perez et al. 2013), which warrants further research.
Physiological effects
Sylvotherapy has long been thought to hold physiological benefits, strengthening the
respiratory system and cardiac function and helping to lower levels of cortisol and
blood pressure (Plaisance 1985). Recent studies have begun to confirm these benefits
(Lee et al. 2011;Li2010;LiandKawada2011;Parketal.2010). For example, one
study compared the effects of Shinrin Yoku and natural aromatherapy on immune
function (Li 2010). It was found that the activity and number of NK cells (natural killer
cells: lymphocytes in the same family as T and B cells) were significantly higher in the
blood after a stay in the forest, than in control samples. These benefits could last up to
30 days after a stay in the forest of three days and two nights. Similar studies in cancer
patients have achieved similar results (Nakau et al. 2013). Interventions combining
forest therapy, horticultural therapy, yoga, and meditation in an urban green space
showed improvements in NK cell activity following sylvotherapy (Nakau et al. 2013).
The conclusions highlight the applicability of incorporating nature therapy into inter-
ventions, even in an urban environment.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

Studies of physiological effects of sylvotherapy indicate relationships with broad
indicators of stress. For example, some studies have indicated decreases of levels of the
stress hormone cortisol in saliva, arterial pressure, and heart rate following sylvotherapy
(Park et al. 2007;Parketal.2010; Tsunetsugu et al. 2007;Tsunetsuguetal.2010).
Similarly, the concentration of adrenaline in the urine was significantly lower after a
session of sylvotherapy (Li 2010). Exposure to the sounds of the forest may be one
underlying mechanism in this regard. Studies performed in a virtual forest in which
sounds specific to this environment were reproduced demonstrated that these sounds
had a beneficial effect on stress (Annerstedt et al. 2013). Finally, brain activity in the
prefrontal region is significantly lower (suggesting a relaxing effect) in people who
practice Shinrin Yoku, unlike those who were offered the same activity –awalk–in
urban areas (Park et al. 2007).
Psychological effects
Many benefits of sylvotherapy are also demonstrate on a psychological level. Environ-
mental factors, such as the decrease in luminosity (particularly favorable for medita-
tion), the colors and forms of the natural environment, visual calm, and the attenuation
of “artificial”noises seem to have favorable repercussions for psychosocial health
(Plaisance 1985;Tsunetsuguetal.2007). For example, studies in Japan show that
aggressiveness and depression scores measured using a mood scale decreased and vigor
increased following forest therapy. The higher the stress level before therapy, the more
effective the therapy on psychological outcomes (Morita et al. 2007). Results of a study
using the Profile of Mood States scale indicated that vigor scores increased, while
scores of anxiety, depression, and anger appeared diminished following sylvotherapy
(Li et al. 2007;Lietal.2008). Others have shown that spending two nights and three
days in the forest resulted in an increase in positive affect scores and a decrease in
negative affect (Lee et al. 2011). With a similar time period, studies comparing a group
of participants who stayed in the forest to a group that spent a stay in an urban area
(Mao et al. 2012) showed a significant improvement in mood and decreased stress
among participants who were in the forest. Others showed that subjects were in a more
relaxed state following sylvotherapy (Ochiai et al. 2015). One study demonstrated that
a walk in an arboretum resulted in a significant increase in memory, as well as better
mood, than the group participating in an urban walk (Berman et al. 2012).
The forest environment might provide an important addition to existing therapies for
patients with mental health disorders. For example, in the case of major depressive
disorders, the therapeutic effect of cognitive-behavioral treatments might be increased
when therapy is practiced in the forest (Kim et al. 2009). One study proposed a nine-
day Shinrin Yoku camp to assess depressive symptoms in a population of people with
alcoholism. It was found that depressive symptoms improved as a result of the therapy,
and that participants with severe depression had an even greater improvement in their
condition (Shin et al. 2012). These findings were corroborated by another study that
also found a sharp decrease in depression and a significant improvement in quality of
life related to health status following forest therapy (Han et al. 2016). Whether used
among healthy individuals for the prevention of pathologies, or for patients already
suffering from health problems, current research is helping to put into perspective the
potential benefits of this therapy for psychological health.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

Discussion
In this article we have presented the findings of a review of literature related to Shinrin
Yoku or forest bathing, also referred to as sylvotherapy. Shinrrin Yoku appears to be an
alternative intervention aimed at reconnecting populations with nature, which has
benefits for stress reduction and other health outcomes. Because two recent reviews
of research on sylvotherapy and human health have been recently published (Hansen
et al. 2017;Ohetal.2017), our focus was to synthesize some key research findings
related to Shinrin Yoku in order to investigate whether it has potential for use in Canada
to support well-being and healthy lifestyles.
Based on these findings, we highlight two examples for using Shinrin Yoku that
could present new avenues for future research, but more studies are needed. Most
people could likely benefit from the stress reduction and health effects associated
with Shinrin Yoku, but impacts might be even greater at certain stages of life.
First, sylvotherapy could be implemented in school or community contexts with
young people. A number of successful initiatives offering outdoor activities (e.g.,
forest, park, local community, farm) in schools have been shown to hold health
benefits, and help to connect youth to nature (Cardinal 2010; Louv 2008). Examples
include the popular Scandinavian school movement Udeskole (Bentsen and Jensen
2012; Waite et al. 2016); the Education Outside The Classroom (EOtC) (Beames et al.
2012) movement in the United States (Kuo et al. 2018); the Learning in Natural
Environment Program (Edwards-Jones et al. 2018) and the Forest Schools (Waite
et al. 2016) program in Great Britain; and the Draussenschule in Germany (Becker
et al. 2017; Sahrakhiz 2018).
Several studies also show academic benefits of such programs. Outdoor education
promotes intrinsic motivation for students (Bølling et al. 2018), such that students are
more attentive and require less attention-related reinforcement following an outdoor
learning context (Kuo et al. 2018). Relationships between students are more positive
and generally supported by cooperative activities (Sahrakhiz 2018;Mygind2009), and
teachers have also noted that outdoor education helps to develop more refined teacher-
student relationships (Barfod 2018).
Within the Canadian context, teachers seeking opportunities to plan nature education
or to teach outdoors tend to use pre-established nature programs such as Forest schools
(MacEachren 2013), Outward Bound (Lowan 2009), Outdoor Education (Henderson and
Potter 2001), or environmental education (Charland et al. 2009; Sauvé 2002). Both urban
and more remote forest areas are used in these practices; for example, nature schools and
environmental education tend to take advantage of parks and natural spaces within the
community for students in primary schools, whereas programs for secondary school or
college students often include longer expeditions of up to a few days in more remote areas
(Pedretti et al. 2012). Some studies have highlighted similarities between Japanese and
Canadian teacher’s views on science and nature, and cultural views of humankind’s
relationship to nature (Aikenhead and Otsuji 2000). Given this context, Shinrin Yoku
appears relevant for being combined with other pedagogies that are already in use by
Canadian teachers. But more research on those potential effects are necessary.
Second, Shinrin Yoku could be very useful for working with populations of
pregnant women. The pregnancy period is a crucial moment that can have short,
medium and long term consequences for foetus and mother, both of whom are highly
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

subject to stress and environmental disruptions (Delassus 2011; Roegiers and
Molénat 2011). Interventions to reduce or to better manage stress during pregnancy
could thus benefit well-being of both mother and unborn child. Prenatal interven-
tions focused on improving maternal psychosocial health, such as mindfulness
interventions (Dhillon et al. 2017) and meditation and relaxation yoga (Gong et al.
2015), have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy
and potentially postnatally.
Shinrin Yoku could offer another low-risk intervention alternative to health
professionals working on the promotion of perinatal health (Roegiers and
Molénat 2011). Past research shows that exposure to green space is associated with
reduced stress among the general population, and that among pregnant women,
exposure to green space is associated with lower risk of preterm birth and low
birthweight (Twohig-Bennett and Jones 2018). Thus, forest bathing on its own, or
in combination with other stress reduction therapies, might have measurable effects
on both maternal stress and on infant well-being. It could be a method accessible at
any stage of pregnancy, requiring relatively flat and marked terrain to ensure that
the activity takes place in safe conditions (Kuo 2015; Iwata et al. 2016), but little in
terms of equipment or experience. Because it is low risk, perinatal nurses could
implement Shinrin Yoku interventions early in pregnancy, and these might provide
an alternative that would be attractive to some patients who might not seek other
forms of treatment.
Following the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (Association of
Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs 2019), many individual studies do
promote health benefits of forest therapy or forest bathing. However, more research on
Shirin Yoku and on the adaptation of training sessions for various fields of intervention
is required. The adaptation and application of Shinrin Yoku to the Canadian context
requires increased research attention in order to support better understanding: 1)
amongst the public in terms of the efficacy of this intervention; 2) of the practices of
forest therapy; 3) of the design of sites required for Shinrin Yoku activities such as
walking and meditation; and 4) how training and certification may help support future
practitioners. We hope this review could help professionals from education and
healthcare in Canada, to better understand or consider Shinrin Yoku as a possible
alternative to promote health and well-being, in collaboration with existing interven-
tions in school, hospital or healthcare networks.
Conclusion
A growing body of research suggests that Shinrin Yoku can have benefits on many
aspects of an individual’s health and well-being. This brief review aims to highlight
new perspectives for education and medicine related to outdoors and nature, and to
familiarize professionals with this therapy. This intervention approach appears realistic
in the Canadian context but more specific research on the topic is needed. In fact, it is
likely possible to incorporate Shinrin Yoku into many interventions in semi-natural
spaces that are already available near schools or health centers with carefully adapta-
tions. Above all, it is hoped that by familiarizing health professionals, educators and
researchers with Shinrin Yoku, we might promote more detailed research on its
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education

incorporation into existing interventions, its underlying mechanisms, and groups of
patients that might particularly benefit from this therapy.
Author’scontributions S.M. and P.D. conducted the first article reviews and analyses; they conceived and
designed the first draft of the paper. T.G. helped to complete the data collection and analysis and complete the
data, rewriting and rearranging of the draft in preparation for submission K.N.D contributed to data collection
and analysis and sought advice from expert critics to complete and improve the quality of the paper.
Compliance with ethical standards
Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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institutional affiliations.
Patrick Daigle Ph.D (c) is a PhD candidate and lecturer at the Department of Physical Activity Sciences in the
Université du Québec à Montréal (program in outdoor intervention). He is also outdoor physical educator at
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf.
Kelsey Needham Dancause I am a Biological Anthropologist with expertise in health transition in developing
countries, maternal and child health, prenatal stress, and obesity. I am particularly interested in behavioral risk
factors for adverse infant development outcomes that might increase risk of non-communicable diseases later
in life. I am Principal Investigator of two projects on maternal health and infant development: one among
socially disadvantaged women in Montreal, and one in the lower-middle income country of Vanuatu, South
Pacific. I am also a member of the Stress in Pregnancy International Research Alliance and the Vanuatu Health
Transition Research Study. I am Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Activity Sciences,
Université du Québec à Montréal.
Tegwen Gadais I taught physical education in several European and Quebec educational institutions, at
various levels and with various clienteles. I also have an expertise in the field of international cooperation and
development where he continues to work with various organizations in developing countries. My current
research focuses on the themes of physical education, health education, outdoor physical activity and outdoor
education; sport, for development and peace, physical activity and international development as well as the
development of the human being in a holistic and complex approach.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education