The Mediating Effect of Nature Restorativeness, Stress Level, and Nature Connectedness in the Association between Nature Exposure and Quality of Life

Bacevičienė, Miglė; Jankauskienė, Rasa

doi:10.3390/ijerph19042098

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…A study on 863 participants in China investigated the links between nature exposure, nature connectedness, and mental wellbeing ( 73 ) and found that nature connectedness moderated the associations between nature exposure, as measured by visitation frequency, nearby greenspace and park quantity, and mental wellbeing. Similarly, another recent study revealed that nature connectedness and nature restorativeness mediated the relationship between nature exposure and quality of life in 924 Lithuanians ( 74 ). The increase in nature connectedness over the control group and baseline following a virtual nature experience is consistent with the well-established evidence of how nature exposure affects mental wellbeing by eliciting nature connectedness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

Lau

Leung²,

Wong³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated uncertainties and restrictions have adverse impacts on university students' mental wellbeing. Evidence shows that virtual nature contact has mental health benefits. However, little is known about the potential beneficial health impacts of virtual nature contact during times of social distancing, when access to the natural environment is restricted. This pilot study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a 3-week virtual nature contact in improving nature connectedness and reducing psychophysiological stress. A sample of 56 university students in Hong Kong was randomly assigned to control and nature interventions using 2-D video played for 15 min three times a week for 3 weeks. Nature connectedness, perceived restorativeness and psycho-physiological wellbeing were measured. Our findings show significant changes in psychological stress levels after nature interventions compared with the baseline, including increased happiness and stronger emotions of comfort and relaxation. When compared with the control group, the results show the nature intervention group has significantly higher levels of nature connectedness, happiness, and positive affect, but no significant effects on other psychological and physiological variables (e.g., cardiovascular responses). Our preliminary findings highlight the potential use of virtual nature contacts in bolstering university students' wellbeing at times of pandemic or when in-person visit to the natural environment is not feasible.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

Lau

Leung²,

Wong³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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“…It found that connection to nature moderated the associations between nature exposure, as measured by the frequency of visitation, amount of nearby green space and parks and mental well-being. Similarly, another recent study found that connection with nature mediated the link between nature exposure and quality of life (Baceviciene and Jankauskiene 2022).…”

Section: The Role Of Nature Relatednessmentioning

confidence: 80%

The role of connection with nature in empirical studies with physiological measurements: a systematic literature review

Gál,

Dömötör

2023

BIOLOGIA FUTURA

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It is well described that exposure to nature reduces physiological stress, and connectedness to nature can have a moderating effect. However, few studies have so far examined the construction of the connection with nature in relation to physiological processes. In this systematic review, we collected studies that used a physiological measure and included a scale to measure connectedness to nature. Our aim was to assess the role of nature relatedness at the level of physiological processes and to summarize the results published so far. Our review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A literature search was conducted in 3 different databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar). As keywords, we used all the different questionnaires that measure connectedness to nature, combined with terms related to physiological measures. After final screening, 28 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. The studies were very diverse in terms of purpose, intervention and methods, so narrative synthesis was conducted without measures of effect. We found evidence for a mediating effect of nature connectedness on the associations between nature exposure and cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, cortisol level and mental health. Studies investigating nature relatedness as state-like characteristics have shown that exposure to nature increases the level of connection to nature. Eye-tracking studies have confirmed that this measurement method can be used to investigate nature relatedness at a physiological level, which could be a useful complement to self-report questionnaires in future studies.

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“…However, the social context of the place where the research population resides is of key importance, since the perception of quality of life is influenced by health, socio-political factors, and the degree of economic development of each country, and the difference between urban and rural environments differs depending on this context [ 40 , 41 ]. Regarding physical health, studies that apply this tool to explore the differences between rural and urban environments do not find significant differences, although it is expected that the rural environment will obtain better results because of the presence of green environments with restorative properties [ 42 ]. However, further research is required in this area to establish relationships.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of Life as Perceived by Elite Mountain Athletes in Spain

Rojo-Ramos,

Mayordomo-Pinilla,

Castillo-Paredes

et al. 2023

Healthcare

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Introduction: Physical activity is a great remedy to prevent diseases, as well as to keep us healthy and improve our physical, mental, and social health. One of the many benefits of physical exercise is emotional regulation, which allows us to provide an adequate response to everyday situations in addition to controlling our own emotions. High-level athletes face multifactorial stressors that can affect their quality of life. Materials and Methods: We explored the relationship between quality of life and emotional regulation using questionnaires that measure self-reported quality of life and how they cope with stressful situations in 54 mountain athletes with a mean age of 21.88 (SD = 7.88). We also investigated gender differences and demographic location in this population, as they are subjected to very high moments of stress in competition, with the risk that this modality entails. Results: Rural areas have better physical and psychological health, with higher scores on quality of life and adaptation dimensions. Women have a worse quality of life, specifically in psychological health, with worse coping mechanisms. Conclusions: It is important to design strategies that improve these mechanisms, specifically in urban areas and the female sex, to improve their emotional regulation and quality of life.

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The Mediating Effect of Nature Restorativeness, Stress Level, and Nature Connectedness in the Association between Nature Exposure and Quality of Life

Cited by 13 publications

References 74 publications

Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

The role of connection with nature in empirical studies with physiological measurements: a systematic literature review

Quality of Life as Perceived by Elite Mountain Athletes in Spain

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