Nature contact and general health: testing multiple serial mediation pathways with data from adults in 18 countries
Elliott, LR; Pasanen, T; White, MP; et al.Wheeler, BW; Grellier, J; Cirach, M; Bratman, GN; van den Bosch, M; Roiko, A; Ojala, A; Nieuwenhuijsen, M; Fleming, LE
Date: 30 June 2023
Article
Journal
Environment International
Publisher
Elsevier
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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 ...
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.
Public Health and Sport Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).