The role of context in the association between exposure to nature and positive mental health

Background: Recent research has highlighted the positive impact of exposure to nature on positive mental health (PMH). However, little is known about how specific contexts of exposure to nature relate to PMH.

Purpose: We aim to investigate the relationship between exposure to nature in i) general life and ii) during outdoor physical activity (OPA) and PMH in young adults.

Methods: We used data from 371 participants (Mage = 21.9, SD=0.61) from the MATCH study. The MATCH study is a longitudinal investigation of physical activity participation in youth (2011-ongoing) in New Brunswick, Canada. In the 2022-2023 survey cycle, we created a 4-category exposure variable according to levels of exposure to nature in general life (high/low) and during OPA (high/low). We used linear regression models to investigate the associations between exposure to nature and PMH, adjusting for gender, age, physical activity, and financial well-being.

Results: Compared to those with low-low exposure to nature in both contexts, those with low general life-high OPA exposure to nature (β(95%CI): 4.1(0.7, 7.5)) and those with high-high exposure to nature in both contexts (4.6(1.2, 8.0)) reported significantly higher PMH after adjusting for potential confounders.

Conclusions: While the context of exposure to nature relates differently to PMH in young adults, exposure to nature during physical activity appears to have greater benefits for well-being than exposure to nature during general life.

Practical implications: Given the benefits associated with exposure to nature during physical activity, efforts to promote outdoor activities should be encouraged among young adults. By integrating natural environments into physical activities, we can potentially enhance mental health outcomes and promote well-being in this population.

Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Sport Participation Research Initiative, New Brunswick Health Research Foundation.