A major international study involving 56,968 adults, aged 18 to 99, has found that levels of nature connectedness and nature exposure are associated with several socioeconomic and demographic factors.
Higher scores were significantly associated with being female, being older, having greater financial security, living in a rural location, being in a committed relationship, having a higher level of education, and being in a racial majority in that country.
The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, was led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and involved over 250 academics from over 60 countries.
The Connectedness to Nature Scale asks participants to rate statements, such as “I often feel a sense of oneness with the natural world around me,” “I have a deep understanding of how my actions affect the natural world,” and “I often feel part of the web of life.”
Data for some countries was separated into different languages — for example English and French responses from Canada — providing 65 national groups. Nepal, Iran, and South Africa were the top three nations for connectedness to nature, while Israel (63rd), Japan (64th), and Spain (65th) were at the bottom of the rankings. The UK was 59th out of 65 national groups surveyed.
The UK scored better on the Nature Exposure Scale, which measures people’s contact with nature around their home and work, their recreational visits, and their nature awareness.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Lithuania were the leading three countries, with the top 10 nations on the Nature Exposure Scale all European, with the exception of French-speaking Canadians. The UK was 31st out of 65, and the bottom three nations were Lebanon, South Korea and, finally, Brazil.
Lead author Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in England, said: “Spending time in a natural environment can provide a number of really important benefits.
“My previous research has shown how being in green spaces, ‘blue’ environments, such as by rivers or the coast, and even snowy landscapes can improve different facets of psychological well-being and mental health, and of course there are physical health benefits from spending time outdoors in nature.
“The evidence that being in nature is good for you is undeniable, but crucially this new study shows that exposure to nature and levels of connectedness to nature are not enjoyed equally by different nations or across different social groups.
“The significant associations with financial wealth, being better educated, and being part of the racial majority within a particular country reflects known socioeconomic inequities in terms of lack of access to natural environments. Racial minorities may also experience natural environments differently, for example in terms of a sense of belonging, and this can impact on people’s attitude to nature and their desire to access it.
“Unfortunately, barriers to accessing nature exist in countries across the world and it is important these barriers are broken down to allow people from all backgrounds to access and enjoy the benefits of natural spaces.”
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