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Volume 7, Issue 4 (Iranian Journal of Ergonomics 2020)
Iran J Ergon 2020, 7(4): 1-11 |
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Khanehshenas F, Habibi P, Zakerian S A. The Effect of Biophilic Design Patterns on Employee's Health and Well-being: A Systematic Review. Iran J Ergon 2020; 7 (4) :1-11
URL: http://journal.iehfs.ir/article-1-682-en.html
URL: http://journal.iehfs.ir/article-1-682-en.html
1- PhD Student, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Associated Professor, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,zakerian@tums.ac.ir
2- Associated Professor, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,
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✅ Organizations, with the help of ergonomists, should consider such changes in the workplace, and nature-based solutions as strategic programs for improving well-being rather than merely applying a temporary strategy that changes the physical condition of a building or its landscape.
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Introduction
As a new paradigm of basic ergonomic knowledge, human connection with nature should be considered in the design of the work environment with the aim of promoting human health and well-being (2). Man's preference for the characteristics of nature, which may change through experience and culture, is the result of gradual evolution (8). The mismatch between adaptive developmental characteristics and the modern environment leads to an incompatibility, which ultimately leads to stress and health problems (9). The two main theoretical frameworks of Stress Recovery Theory (1983) and the Attention Restoration Theory (1987) (11) argue that people are physiologically and psychologically demanding to be present in natural environments and helping them coping with mental fatigue. Employee health and well-being are affected by a variety of factors. Nature as a new paradigm in job ergonomics and its role in relation to human well-being has not been well studied and explained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the results of the link with nature on employee health, especially welfare, in the form of a systematic review study.
Materials and Methods
Searching Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar, Medline and science direct databases, all articles related to Biophilic Design and Health and Welfare Design using Biophilic, Performance, Well-being, Nature and Health keywords in with the criteria of publishing articles from 2000 onwards were assessed. An initial general search led to 210 related research articles. Persian articles (due to low number) and duplicate articles indexed in different databases were deleted. The selection of papers was done considering indicators such as being dedicated to at least one of the various dimensions of health (including mental and physical health) and human well-being, as well as indexing the article in reputable databases. Finally, 25 articles were selected for the present review.
Results
Tables 1 to 5 present the results of the study of the effects of biofilm components such as color, light, plants, natural and artificial landscapes, and natural sound on health and well-being.
Table 1. Published articles on the effect of color on health and well-being
| Row | First author and the year of publishment | Sample number | Study design | Study subject | Conclusion |
| 1 | Lichtenfeld , 2012 (14) | 69 | Experimental | The effect of green on creativity | The results showed that looking at green color enhances creative performances |
| 2 | Sadek, 2013 (15) | 22 | Experimental | The effect of plant color on eye movements, emotional state and brain activity | The results showed that people pay less attention to normal colors. In addition, dark green plants are exciting for relaxation and bright yellow to green, which increases the feeling of strength and increases blood flow to the brain due to increased attention. |
| 3 | Mehta, 2009 (16) | 69 | Cross-sectional | The effect of color on cognitive function and creativity | The results showed that green color increases performance in precise and creative tasks. |
Table 2. Published articles on the impact of light on health and well-being
| Row | First author and the year of publishment | Sample number | Study design | Study subject | Conclusion |
| 1 | Elzeyadi, 2012 (18) |
175 | Cross-sectional | The effects of daylight on health and reducing employee rest hours | The results showed that in office environments with a lower rank than the quality of light and a weaker view, the hours of sick leave are much longer. |
| 2 |
Hatta, 2002 (19) |
24 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effects of three colors of red, blue and beige computer screen on job performance and mental state | The red color of the screen reduces the performance of low-need visual tasks compared to blue, while the blue screen reduces the performance of high-visual visual tasks. In addition, the color of the monitor did not affect heart rate. |
Table 3. Published articles on the impact of plants on health and well-being
| Row | First author and the year of publishment | Sample number | Study design | Study subject | Conclusion |
| 1 | Chang, 2005 (2) | 38 | Experimental | Effects of plant presence in work environments on psychophysiological responses such as electromyography, electroencephalography, blood volume pulse and employee anxiety status | Employees reported less nervous activity and anxiety when they saw the window and plants in their work environment. |
| 2 | Knight, 2010 (21) | 112 | Cross-sectional | Effects of poor design of work environment compared to environment decorated with plants on welfare and various forms of productivity | The results of the study showed positive effects on well-being and productivity in plants decorated with plants compared to simple spaces. |
Table 4. Published articles on the impact of exposure to natural / artificial landscapes on health and well-being
| Row | First author and the year of publishment | Sample number | Study design | Study subject | Conclusion |
| 1 |
Lottrup, 2013 (22) |
439 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effect of access to green space in the workplace on employees' perceptual stress levels | The results showed that physical and visual access to green space leads to a positive attitude towards the work environment and reduces stress in respondents. |
| 2 | Brown, 2013 (23) | 25 males & 28 females | Experimental | The effect of exposure to natural scenes such as trees, grasslands and artifacts such as buildings on the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and sympathetic parameters | Improvements in parasympathetic activity due to observation of the natural environment were significantly higher than those of artificial environments. |
| 3 | White, 2010 (24) | 120 images of natural and artificial landscapes | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effect of water-related images on attention retrieval | Both natural and artificial images, including water scenes, had a more positive effect, and the recovery was higher compared to images without water. |
| 4 | Weich ,2006 (25) | 7659 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the Differences of Life in Rural / Non-Rural Areas on Mental Disorders | The results showed that the villagers had better mental health than their non-rural counterparts. |
| 5 | Maas, 2006 (26) |
250780 | Regression | Investigating the relationship between green space in the living environment and the level of perceptual public health | The percentage of green space in people's living environment has a positive relationship with the general perceptual public health of residents. |
| 6 | Agyemang, 2007 (27) | 517 Dutch, 404 Turkish and 365 Moroccan | Experimental | Determining the relationship between environmental factors such as green space quality and blood pressure between different ethnic groups | High quality green space was associated with low blood pressure. |
| 7 | van den Berg ,2010 (28) | 4529 | Regression | Investigating the existence of green space on stressful life events | The relationship between stressful events and perceptual public health is significantly modified by the presence of green spaces. |
| 8 | Groenewegen, 2006 (29) | - | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effects of green space on the living environment on health, well-being and social security | The results showed a positive relationship between the amount of green space in the living environment and physical, mental health and longevity. |
| 9 | Lafortezza, 2009 (30) | 800 | Cross-sectional | Factors affecting the promotion of human health and well-being | Frequent and prolonged presence in green spaces significantly improves the level of health and perceptual well-being among individuals. |
| 10 | Laumann, 2003 (31) | 28 | Cross-sectional | Assess the capacity of volunteer attention and selective attention in the face of natural stimuli | In the face of natural resources, individuals had lower heart rates and longer heart rate intervals than in the urban group, and the selective attention in the nature exposure group was lower than in the urban group. |
| 11 | Sahlin, 2014 (32) | 33 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effects of burnout, work ability, health symptoms caused by stress and leave due to illness over a 12-week period in the field of stress management and based on nature | Deterioration scores decreased and work ability increased. In addition, less stress-related symptoms were reported. In general, nature plays an important role in reducing stress. |
| 12 | Cervinka, 2012 (33) | 574 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the Relationship between Nature and Welfare | Psychological well-being was strongly associated with nature. |
| 13 | Howell, 2011 (34) | 452275 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the relationship between nature, well-being and mindfulness among students | There is a significant relationship between nature and welfare indicators. |
| 14 | Martyn, 2014 (35) | 305 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the relationship between anxiety and nature | There is a significant relationship between exposure to nature and low levels of anxiety. |
| 15 | Kamitsis, 2013 (36) | 190 | Cross-sectional | Investigating the effect of communication with nature on mental health | There is a positive relationship between exposure to nature and people's well-being and mental health. |
| 16 | Miyazaki, 2011 (37) | 420 | Intervention | Determination of physiological functions in rural people compared to urban people | Physiological indicators such as cortisol levels, sympathetic nervous function, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate in the rural group were low compared with the urban control group. |
| 17 | Ottosson, 2005 (38) | 15 elderly people | Intervention | Determining the effect of exposure to nature compared to the internal environment on stress levels | The power of concentration increased due to being in the natural environment, but no effect on blood pressure or heart rate was shown as an indicator of stress. |
Table 5. Published articles on the impact of sound on health and well-being
| Row | First author and the year of publishment | Sample number | Study design | Study subject | Conclusion |
| 1 | Ratcliffe, 2013 (12) | 20 | Qualitative | The effect of exposure to bird sounds and natural sounds in restoring employees' perceptual attention and stress | Exposure to natural sounds has positive effects on reducing perceptual stress and regaining people's attention. |
Discussion
Color
Color seems to have more imposed, emotional, and confusing effects on interior design (39). Although people perceive colors similarly, people's preferences vary between country and culture. In addition, men and women appear to react differently to color because women are more sensitive to the effects of light and saturated colors (40). Based on the review of the texts, there is no agreement on the most suitable color for the interior. In general, the appropriate color for the office interior is white, beige or neutral (41). It is also recommended that the walls be light in color and the ceiling white. In general, the effects of colors can be influenced by factors such as age, social norms, and working conditions (41).
Lighting
Proper lighting is essential for successful, safe performance, a sense of comfort and enjoyment of the interior. The results of studies have shown that having natural light in the workplace causes peace of mind, job satisfaction and reduced work leave and as a moderator of workplace stress (9).
Plants
Plants have invisible features such as pleasant smell, air filtration and reduction of building disease syndrome. Therefore, identifying pollutants and selecting some plants in air pollution treatment can be very effective in improving the indoor air quality of the building (9). For example, ferns have a high ability to remove formaldehyde pollutants from the air (44). However, the exact performance of plants in improving indoor air quality is not clear. For example, some plants, including pots and pesticides, provide the conditions for the growth of microorganisms and can add other volatile organic compounds to the environment (44).
Natural and artificial landscapes
Creating natural landscapes is inexpensive and does not take long to be effective. Nature-facing windows create health, job and life satisfaction, and high tolerance capacity, and also help reduce eye strain by creating different focal lengths of the eye (46).
Natural images in the workplace reduce anger and stress, and with the presence of plants, they may increase job satisfaction, physical, mental health, and productivity (21). The use of artificial materials similar to natural materials in interior design (such as artificial laminate flooring with wood and wallpaper design of plants and foliage) seems appropriate due to the remembrance of nature (47).
Sound
Studies show that the sounds of nature can be helpful in relieving stress and unpleasant feelings. Of course, not all such sounds are pleasant. Some bird sounds are reminiscent of threats based on the intensity, stimulation, and loudness of the sound, causing irritation in individuals and preventing them from regaining stress. The white sound created by natural sounds, such as the sound of the ocean or waterfall, covers the unpleasant effects of sound and increases the focus on the presence of other distracting sounds (40).
Conclusion
Biophilic design patterns and effective ways to create symbolic nature at home provide a high level of well-being and health for individuals by meeting the inherent need of human connection with nature. However, today's work environments lack the most basic principles of biophilic design. Therefore, human factor engineers along with designers should pay serious attention to the use of biophilic design in work environments. On the other hand, since most of these studies are related to developed countries, more internal research is needed on how to influence natural patterns and proposed solutions with cultural and regional limitations in mind.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to all those who assisted in the writing of this article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Other Cases
Received: 2020/01/17 | Accepted: 2020/01/29 | ePublished: 2020/02/29
Received: 2020/01/17 | Accepted: 2020/01/29 | ePublished: 2020/02/29
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