Green Spaces and Nature Therapy in Postoperative Cardiac Recovery: A Public Health Nursing Perspective

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for more than 17 million deaths annually (Martin et al. 2025 ).The increasing prevalence of CVD is a significant challenge for public health systems worldwide.This is due not only to its high mortality rate but also to the substantial costs and reduced quality of life associated with long-term treatment and rehabilitation.Multiple biological and non-biological risk factors for CVD affect the health outcomes of patients with the disease.These risk factors include modifiable factors such as an unhealthy diet, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, inadequate sleep, and psychological stress, as well as nonmodifiable factors such as genetics, sex, and age (Liu et al. 2022 ;Martin et al. 2025 ).Given this burden, postoperative recovery pathways deserve equal attention, not only pharmacological care but also environmental determinants such as access to therapeutic green spaces that may facilitate rehabilitation adherence and improve well-being (Liu et al.