Nature Contact and Health Risk Behaviours: Results From an 18 Country Study

Emerging evidence suggests that residential greenspace is associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, but it remains unclear whether these effects are generalizable across countries or different types of nature contact. Using representative cross-sectional samples from 18 countries/regions, we examined the associations between two types of nature contact (greenspace, nature visits), current smoking and everyday drinking. After controlling for a range of covariates, greenspace was inversely associated with current smoking and everyday drinking. Visiting natural spaces at least once a week was linked to a lower prevalence of current smoking, but unrelated to everyday drinking. Increasing residential greenspace could be a promising strategy for reducing multiple health risk behaviours, whilst visit-based interventions may be a more appropriate target for smoking cessation. Highlights Examined the links between nature and health-risk behaviours in 18 countries. Greenspace predicted lower current smoking and exceeding alcohol guidelines. Weekly nature visits were associated with a lower prevalence of current smoking. Greenspace-behaviour associations were largely consistent between countries.