Nature visits can improve well-being disparities among urban dwellers

(Press-News.org) How relatedness to nature is linked to well-being is determined by district-level socioeconomic status. The Kobe University analysis is based on survey results from two major Japanese metropolitan areas.

Hiking. Camping. Even just walking in the park. Be it a current hobby or a childhood pastime, many urban residents have engaged in activities that have nurtured in them a positive relationship with nature. But in our modern society, disparities in access to nature have only grown larger between residential areas. And while this especially affects those that face social and economic challenges, research that explores the relationship between district-level socioeconomic status, nature and well-being remains limited.

Kobe University human environmental scientist UCHIYAMA Yuta specializes in studying how differences in urban and rural lifestyles affect quality of life. He and his team surveyed 3,500 residents in two major metropolitan areas of Japan (Tokyo-Yokohama and Osaka-Kobe) in order to determine their relationship with nature both objectively (based on proximity and access to natural spaces) and subjectively (based on perceived relatedness to nature). The responses were then categorized based on socioeconomic status by area and the degree of urban development of their residential area to serve as a third dimension in clarifying the relationship between well-being and nature.

The results of this study, published in Landscape and Urban Planning, show that the more related to nature people feel, the better their overall well-being is, and that this relationship is particularly pronounced in urbanized areas with poorer socioeconomic conditions.

But why is this the case? Related studies have suggested that nature visits are important for maintaining and improving health for those under substantial stress, and that this is especially true for residents of areas with poorer socioeconomic conditions. Conversely, residents of areas with better socioeconomic conditions have access to additional resources for enhancing their health and overall well-being, making the effects of nature visits relatively less pronounced. 

Uchiyama explains what this means for policies aimed at reducing inequality in well-being, saying: “We anticipate that conserving and enhancing existing natural spaces and organizing community events will have a positive effect on well-being in areas of relatively poor socioeconomic status. Interestingly, of the factors we surveyed, childhood experience with nature in particular was a significant predictor of adult well-being.” This finding further emphasizes that early-life exposure and equitable access to nature are essential to public health.

Moving forward, further analysis of the relationships between independent variables as well as key factors that vary over time (e.g., moving between regions of differing socioeconomic level) should prove useful in obtaining a clearer picture of the relationship between nature relatedness, socioeconomic level and well-being. Uchiyama says, “As these findings are consistent with similar studies conducted in other regions, interventions for both subjective and objective factors should be applicable to other regions with similar socioeconomic contexts, such as other cities in Monsoon Asia. Currently, as part of an international collaborative project (link), we are analyzing how knowledge and perceptions influence well-being, resilience, and preparedness of citizens and decision-makers in major cities in Asia including Bangkok and Manila.”

This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants JP23K25067, JP23K25106, JP23K28298, and JP23K28295), the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (grant 1FS-2201), and Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (CRRP2023-10MY-Uchiyama). It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of the Ryukyus, the University of Tokyo and Nanzan University.

Kobe University is a national university with roots dating back to the Kobe Higher Commercial School founded in 1902. It is now one of Japan’s leading comprehensive research universities with nearly 16,000 students and nearly 1,700 faculty in 11 faculties and schools and 15 graduate schools. Combining the social and natural sciences to cultivate leaders with an interdisciplinary perspective, Kobe University creates knowledge and fosters innovation to address society’s challenges.

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