2014 / Green spaces, Stress, Health and well-being

Nature and Health

Citation

Hartig, T., Mitchell, R., De Vries, S., & Frumkin, H. (2014). Nature and Health. Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 207-228.

Link to file

Abstract

Some pathways through which the natural environment can affect the health of broad segments of populations. Four of the pathways go through contact with nature,whereas two others go directly from the natural environment to air quality and stress, respectively, implying that the natural environment may affect health without an individual or group consciously engaging with nature as such. Associations between variables at the different steps in a given pathway are subject to modification by characteristics of the people or the context. The two-headed arrow between the natural environment and contact with nature acknowledges that these are joined in a reciprocal relationship. The two-headed arrows between the variables designating pathways (air quality, physical activity, social contacts, and stress) also speak to their reciprocal relatedness; however, each may be related with all the others and not only with the one adjacent. Abbreviations: CHD, coronary heart disease; CVD, cardiovascular disease.
Figure 1: Some pathways through which the natural environment can affect the health of broad segments of populations.

Urbanization, resource exploitation, and lifestyle changes have diminished possibilities for human contact with nature in many societies. Concern about the loss has helped motivate research on the health benefits of contact with nature. Reviewing that research here, we focus on nature as represented by aspects of the physical environment relevant to planning, design, and policy measures that serve broad segments of urbanized societies. We discuss difficulties in defining “nature” and reasons for the current expansion of the research field, and we assess available reviews. We then consider research on pathways between nature and health involving air quality, physical activity, social cohesion, and stress reduction. Finally, we discuss methodological issues and priorities for future research. The extant research does describe an array of benefits of contact with nature, and evidence regarding some benefits is strong; however, some findings indicate caution is needed in applying beliefs about those benefits, and substantial gaps in knowledge remain.