Nature exposure is known to promote physical and mental health. However, actual nature exposure may be difficult to achieve for the population of people with physical disabilities or chronic conditions. Therefore, many attempts have been made to duplicate nature exposure via media devices, and virtual reality (VR) is deemed as a promising technology due to its advantage in creating a sense of immersion. Generally, current studies suggest that being exposed to virtual nature may contribute to psychological and physiological relaxation. Besides, some pieces of evidence indicate that virtual nature may improve attentional resources, cognitive performance, and pain experience. Although VR is deemed as an advanced media, insufficient evidence was found concerning the advantages of VR over traditional two-dimensional media when it comes to simulated nature exposure. On the other hand, computer-generated (CG) scenarios were found to be more beneficial than 360° videos, and mini-games may be useful in creating an interactive VR format for simulated nature exposure. Further research is needed because of the limited relevant studies.

Aggressive behavior has been one of the core issues in sports psychology, whereas boxers’ aggressive behavior has received limited attention. Although some literature reported that self-efficacy is related to aggressive behavior, the mechanism whereby self-efficacy affects aggressive behavior remains unclear. The present study investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and aggressive behavior, as well as the effect of self-control as a mediating factor. This study uses the Self-efficacy Scale for Athletes, the Self-control Questionnaire for Athletes, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. This relationship is explored through self-reported measures from N = 414 Chinese professional boxers, n = 243 were male and n = 171 were female, the average age was M = 17.72 years (SD = 3.147), the participants, the average number of years of exercise was M = 3.89 years (SD = 2.734); Results showed that male boxers reported greater aggression than female boxers; It was found that the self-efficacy and self-control improved as age of the participants increased; The higher the level of competition, the higher levels of self-efficacy and self-control; Self-efficacy was negatively related with aggressive behavior and positively correlated with self-control. Self-control was also negatively correlated with aggressive behavior among boxers. Self-control had a full mediating effect on the relationship between self-efficacy and aggressive behavior.

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 exploration. Therefore, we conducted an online study among Chinese residents in December 2021 to capture data on engagement with urban green space for green exercise, the frequency of green exercise, perceived pollution in green space, perceptions of residential green space, social cohesion, depression, and anxiety. Among the 1208 respondents who engaged in green exercise last month, 967 (80%) reported that green exercise primarily occurred in residential neighborhoods. The rest (20%) reported that green exercise occurred in more distant urban green spaces. The most common reasons that respondents sought green exercise in urban green spaces were better air and environmental qualities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was then employed to explore the pathways between the perceived greenness of residential neighborhoods and mental health among respondents who used residential green space for exercise. The final model suggested that residential green space was negatively associated with anxiety (β = −0.30, p = 0.001) and depression (β = −0.33, p < 0.001), mainly through indirect pathways. Perceived pollution and social cohesion were the two mediators that contributed to most of the indirect effects. Perceived pollution was also indirectly associated with green exercise through less social cohesion (β = −0.04, p = 0.010). These findings suggest a potential framework to understand the mental health benefits of residential green space and its accompanying pathways during the COVID-19 era.

Nighttime walking is becoming a popular exercise for many middle-aged and older people in Asian countries. However, the health benefits of nighttime walking in urban areas and green spaces are still unclear. This study evaluated the physiological and psychological responses of 48 middle-aged and older people who walked 1.6 km through a green space and an urban area during daytime and nighttime. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Profile of Mood States (POMS), Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), and Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS) were employed to measure the psychological responses, and pulse rate and blood pressure (SBP, DBP and MAP) were measured to evaluate the physiological responses. The results showed that the daytime green walking induced psychological improvements and lowered blood pressure (p < 0.05), while the daytime urban walking resulted in slight deterioration of all the measured parameters (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the nighttime green walking induced lowered blood pressure (p < 0.05), whilst the nighttime urban walking resulted in psychological improvements and lowered blood pressure (p < 0.05), and no significant difference was found in any measured parameter between the two nighttime walking groups. In conclusion, urban areas are noisy and irritating in the daytime, and not suitable for walking, but may become pleasurable and attractive at night. The psychological benefits of green walking may decrease at night, and nighttime walking in either an urban area or a green space may achieve similar health benefits. Therefore, we recommend that urban citizens start nighttime walking in a green space or an urban area to keep fit when the air is less polluted.

Body image and eating disorders pose significant challenges to the overall health of athletes. However, divergent findings exist regarding the potential association between athletes’ body image and eating disorders. This systematic review aims to examine the relationship between these two variables and identify the modifiers of the association, such as gender, age, race, and exercise type. A search was conducted in five databases (Web of Science, PubMed, APA PsycINFO, ProQuest, and EBSCO), aiming to identify studies on athletes and involved body image and eating disorders in their conclusions. Ultimately, thirty-one studies were included for systematic evaluation. The results of the studies indicate that the relationship between athletes’ body image and eating disorders is complex and inconclusive. In some types of sports, eating disorders can occur even when athletes are satisfied with their body image. Furthermore, female athletes, particularly young female athletes, and athletes involved in sports associated with leanness are more prone to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. Due to limited resources in this type of research, there is a lack of comprehensive inclusivity across sports disciplines, genders, races, and levels of sports proficiency, which warrants further research.