Nature contact and general health
- Author(s)
- Lewis R. Elliott, Tytti Pasanen, Mathew P. White, Benedict W. Wheeler, James Grellier, Marta Cirach, Gregory N. Bratman, Matilda van den Bosch, Anne Roiko, Ann Ojala, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Lora E. Fleming
- Abstract
The role of neighbourhood nature in promoting good health is increasingly recognised in policy and practice, but consistent evidence for the underlying mechanisms is lacking. Heterogeneity in exposure methods, outcome measures, and population characteristics, little exploration of recreational use or the role of different types of green or blue space, and multiple separate mediation models in previous studies have limited our ability to synthesise findings and draw clear conclusions. We examined multiple pathways linking different types of neighbourhood nature with general health using a harmonised international sample of adults. Using cross-sectional survey data from 18 countries (n = 15,917), we developed a multigroup path model to test theorised pathways, controlling for sociodemographic variables. We tested the possibility that neighbourhood nature (e.g. greenspace, inland bluespace, and coastal bluespace) would be associated with general health through lower air pollution exposure, greater physical activity attainment, more social contact, and higher subjective well-being. However, our central prediction was that associations between different types of neighbourhood nature and general health would largely be serially mediated by recent visit frequency to corresponding environment types, and, subsequently, physical activity, social contact, and subjective well-being associated with these frequencies. Several subsidiary analyses assessed the robustness of the results to alternative model specifications as well as effect modification by sociodemographics. Consistent with this prediction, there was statistical support for eight of nine potential serial mediation pathways via visit frequency which held for a range of alternative model specifications. Effect modification by financial strain, sex, age, and urbanicity altered some associations but did not necessarily support the idea that nature reduced health inequalities. The results demonstrate that across countries, theorised nature-health linkages operate primarily through recreational contact with natural environments. This provides arguments for greater efforts to support use of local green/blue spaces for health promotion and disease prevention.
- Organisation(s)
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub
- External organisation(s)
- University of Exeter, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Climate and Health Programme, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain., University Pompeu Fabra, University of Washington, University of British Columbia (UBC), Griffith University, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
- Journal
- Environment International
- Volume
- 178
- No. of pages
- 18
- ISSN
- 0160-4120
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108077
- Publication date
- 06-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501030 Cognitive science
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/nature-contact-and-general-health(c805fc28-c983-4b91-b820-e371fecb9185).html