How are nature exposures and nature connectedness related to well-being and environmentalism in the population of England?
Abstract
The twin crises of mental and planetary health can benefit from understanding how visiting nature and nature connectedness are related to well-being and environmentalism. These relationships are complicated by (1) the quality of neighbourhood nature, which can influence both nature visit behaviour and nature connectedness, as well as well-being and environmentalism; (2) the interplay between visiting nature and nature connectedness in these relationships. Cross-sectional data from the People and Nature Surveys in England was used to estimate associations between nature visit frequency and nature connectedness, and a range of well-being and environmentalism outcomes (N range 4588-12,082), with relationships adjusted for perceived neighbourhood nature quality. Interaction between nature visit frequency and connectedness was accounted for in restricted cubic spline models. We estimated the effects of contrasts in nature visit frequency at different levels of connectedness, and the effects of increased nature connectedness at levels of visit frequency. Overall, both visiting nature and nature connectedness were positively related to both well-being and environmentalism. Well-being benefits associated with increased nature visit frequency were differentially greater at higher nature connectedness. Well-being benefits associated with increased nature connectedness were differentially greater at low connectedness, especially in combination with low nature visit frequency. Environmentalism benefits associated with increased nature visit frequency were greater at lower than at mid-range nature connectedness. Environmentalism benefits associated with increased nature connectedness at low visit frequency were greater at low connectedness, but at high visit frequency conservation behaviour benefits associated with increased nature connectedness were greater at high connectedness. Policy implications: The benefits of visiting nature and nature connectedness to well-being and environmentalism highlight the need for policy to simultaneously promote both access and connectedness, and the complexity of relationships suggests how interventions can be targeted.