Publications by authors named "Ashby Sachs"

Background: Loneliness, a major public health concern, could be alleviated through social interventions with nature contact as a primary component. "Friends in Nature" is a complex nature-based social intervention designed to be implemented as part of "Reimagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces" (RECETAS). This project aims to alleviate loneliness and promote health-related quality of life in six different geographic areas worldwide.

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Background: Adolescent parents are at an increased risk for loneliness and mental health challenges compared to childless peers. Nature-based interventions are shown to promote social connectedness.

Aim: To identify elements of a nature-based intervention to reduce loneliness and foster nature connection among pregnant and parenting adolescents.

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Recognition of the health benefits of nature contact has increased. Simultaneously, growing numbers of people worldwide experience loneliness. There is a movement towards prescribing nature-based activities to improve/promote social connections, health, and quality of life.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study involved 162 lonely participants who engaged in a weekly nature-based program for nine weeks, while 157 others received standard care; their health, loneliness, and wellbeing were assessed before and after the intervention.
  • * Results showed a typical participant age of 83, with most dealing with co-morbidities; about 57% of those in the nature program reported reduced loneliness, and 96% would recommend the intervention to others.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of nature-based interventions (NBIs) in reducing depression, anxiety, and loneliness in pregnant and postpartum women, amidst concerns over maternal and child health outcomes linked to these mental health issues.
  • - A systematic review of studies published before February 2023 identified only three relevant studies that met criteria, involving 68 participants, which suffered from small sample sizes and early-stage designs, making their findings less reliable.
  • - The findings suggest a need for further research with stronger methodologies and standardized measurements to better assess the impact of NBIs, taking into account the diverse needs and circumstances of perinatal populations.
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Addressing complex environmental health challenges necessitates the integration of multiple research methodologies to fully understand the social, economic, and health impacts of exposure to environmental hazards. Qualitative and mixed methods (QMM) are vital in uncovering the sociocultural dynamics that influence people's interactions with their environment and subsequent health-related outcomes. QMM has the potential to reveal insights that quantitative methods might overlook.

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Background: The negative effects of loneliness on population health and wellbeing requires interventions that transcend the medical system and leverage social, cultural, and public health system resources. Group-based social interventions are a potential method to alleviate loneliness. Moreover, nature, as part of our social and health infrastructure, may be an important part of the solutions that are needed to address loneliness.

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Recently, there has been an increase in feelings of loneliness and mental health conditions among adolescents. Within this population, parenting teens are at an increased risk for these conditions. Outdoor experiences are shown to be an antidote to loneliness and a way to promote social connectedness by amplifying the processes for supporting social relationships.

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Background: Despite an increasing number of studies highlighting the health benefits of community gardening, the literature is limited by cross-sectional designs. The "JArDinS" quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles among French adults.

Methods: Individuals entering a community garden in Montpellier (France) in 2018 (n = 66) were compared with pairwise matched individuals with no experience in community gardening (n = 66).

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