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Li H, Browning MHEM, Bardhan M, Ying M, Zhang X, Cao Y, Zhang G. Nature connectedness connects the visibility of trees through windows and mental wellbeing: a study on the "3 visible trees" component of the 3-30-300 rule. Int J Environ Health Res 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38591755 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2334767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
To examine the mediatory role of nature connectedness between tree visibility through windows and mental wellbeing, we conducted a questionnaire survey and examined the mediation effect using both cross-sectional and semi-longitudinal mediation models. We evaluated nature connectedness using the Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS) scale and the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) and measured mental wellbeing using the WHO-5 wellbeing index. Our results showed that participants who could see at least three trees through their windows reported higher levels of both nature connectedness and mental wellbeing compared to those without such visibility. Nature connectedness significantly mediated the relationship between the visibility of trees through windows and mental wellbeing, albeit with a somewhat limited effect. More broadly, this study provides additional evidence in support of the "3" component of the 3-30-300 "rule" for equitable access to greenspace in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansen Li
- College of Physical education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Matthew H E M Browning
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
- Virtual Reality and Nature Lab, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
| | - Mondira Bardhan
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
- Virtual Reality and Nature Lab, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
- Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Mingyue Ying
- School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Yang Cao
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Guodong Zhang
- College of Physical education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Patwary MM, Bardhan M, Browning MHEM, Astell-Burt T, van den Bosch M, Dong J, Dzhambov AM, Dadvand P, Fasolino T, Markevych I, McAnirlin O, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, White MP, Van Den Eeden SK. The economics of nature's healing touch: A systematic review and conceptual framework of green space, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and healthcare expenditure associations. Sci Total Environ 2024; 914:169635. [PMID: 38159779 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Green spaces play a crucial role in promoting sustainable and healthy lives. Recent evidence shows that green space also may reduce the need for healthcare, prescription medications, and associated costs. This systematic review provides the first comprehensive assessment of the available literature examining green space exposure and its associations with healthcare prescriptions and expenditures. We applied Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to search MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for observational studies published in English through May 6, 2023. A quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) tool, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) assessment was used to evaluate the overall quality of evidence. Our search retrieved 26 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Among these, 20 studies (77 % of the total) showed beneficial associations of green space exposure with healthcare prescriptions or expenditures. However, most studies had risks of bias, and the overall strength of evidence for both outcomes was limited. Based on our findings and related bodies of literature, we present a conceptual framework to explain the possible associations and complex mechanisms underlying green space and healthcare outcomes. The framework differs from existing green space and health models by including upstream factors related to healthcare access (i.e., rurality and socioeconomic status), which may flip the direction of associations. Additional research with lower risks of bias is necessary to validate this framework and better understand the potential for green space to reduce healthcare prescriptions and expenditures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary
- Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative, Khulna, Bangladesh; Environmental Science Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh.
| | - Mondira Bardhan
- Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative, Khulna, Bangladesh; Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Matthew H E M Browning
- Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - Thomas Astell-Burt
- School of Architecture, Design, and Planning, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Matilda van den Bosch
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; European Forest Institute, Biocities Facility, Rome, Italy; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jiaying Dong
- Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; School of Architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Angel M Dzhambov
- Research Group "Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Payam Dadvand
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Iana Markevych
- Research Group "Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Olivia McAnirlin
- Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mathew P White
- Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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