{"id":{"repo_id":"plymouth","oai_identifier":"oai:pearl.plymouth.ac.uk:psy-theses-1009"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/plymouth/oai:pearl.plymouth.ac.uk:psy-theses-1009","repository":{"repo_id":"plymouth","name":"University of Plymouth","base_url":"https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/do/oai"},"display":{"title":"Behavioural determinants of human and planetary health: the role of nature contact and nature connectedness.","abstract":"The benefits of natural environments for health and wellbeing are well-established, but less is known about their links human behaviour. This thesis presents a conceptual model proposing that increased contact with - and psychological connection to – nature will be associated with: a) a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, and b) greater engagement with pro-environmental behaviours, via positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. Studies 1-3 used representative cross-sectional datasets to systematically investigate the associations between different types of nature contact, nature connectedness and behavioural outcomes. Study 4 used a bespoke cross-sectional survey to test the full conceptual model, including the proposed mediators. It was found that nature-behaviour associations differ, in both direction and strength, as a function of: a) the type of nature contact, and b) behavioural outcome. Specifically, after accounting for a range of covariates, residential nature contact (greenspace, green views) was associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours (current smoking, exceeding alcohol guidelines, poor diets), as well as greater engagement household pro-environmental behaviours. Intentional nature contact (nature visits) was linked to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in household pro-environmental behaviours. Indirect nature contact (watching/listening to nature media) was associated with a higher prevalence of current smoking and exceeding alcohol guidelines, as well as a lower prevalence of poor diets and more sustainable behaviours across domains (household, nature conservation). Nature connectedness was most consistently related to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviours (household, nature conservation). There was evidence that, under some circumstances, nature connectedness moderated nature-behaviour associations. Additionally, associations between nature contact/connectedness and behavioural outcomes were mediated by somewhat different combinations of positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. The complexity of the findings indicates that a more nuanced approach to the study of human-nature interactions is likely to be necessary to inform integrated environmental policies that are beneficial to both human and planetary health.","abstract_html":"The benefits of natural environments for health and wellbeing are well-established, but less is known about their links human behaviour. This thesis presents a conceptual model proposing that increased contact with - and psychological connection to – nature will be associated with: a) a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, and b) greater engagement with pro-environmental behaviours, via positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. Studies 1-3 used representative cross-sectional datasets to systematically investigate the associations between different types of nature contact, nature connectedness and behavioural outcomes. Study 4 used a bespoke cross-sectional survey to test the full conceptual model, including the proposed mediators. It was found that nature-behaviour associations differ, in both direction and strength, as a function of: a) the type of nature contact, and b) behavioural outcome. Specifically, after accounting for a range of covariates, residential nature contact (greenspace, green views) was associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours (current smoking, exceeding alcohol guidelines, poor diets), as well as greater engagement household pro-environmental behaviours. Intentional nature contact (nature visits) was linked to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in household pro-environmental behaviours. Indirect nature contact (watching/listening to nature media) was associated with a higher prevalence of current smoking and exceeding alcohol guidelines, as well as a lower prevalence of poor diets and more sustainable behaviours across domains (household, nature conservation). Nature connectedness was most consistently related to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviours (household, nature conservation). There was evidence that, under some circumstances, nature connectedness moderated nature-behaviour associations. Additionally, associations between nature contact/connectedness and behavioural outcomes were mediated by somewhat different combinations of positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. The complexity of the findings indicates that a more nuanced approach to the study of human-nature interactions is likely to be necessary to inform integrated environmental policies that are beneficial to both human and planetary health.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Martin, Leanne"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jon May, Sabine Pahl, Mathew White"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:50:32Z","subjects":["Nature","Greenspace","Health Behaviour","Pro-environmental behaviour","Affect","Temporal discounting","social cohesion"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10026.1/18613"],"render_values":[{"text":"10026.1/18613","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-theses/10","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jon May, Sabine Pahl, Mathew White"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Martin, Leanne"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Nature","Greenspace","Health Behaviour","Pro-environmental behaviour","Affect","Temporal discounting","social cohesion"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10026.1/18613","https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-theses/10"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The benefits of natural environments for health and wellbeing are well-established, but less is known about their links human behaviour. This thesis presents a conceptual model proposing that increased contact with - and psychological connection to – nature will be associated with: a) a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, and b) greater engagement with pro-environmental behaviours, via positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. Studies 1-3 used representative cross-sectional datasets to systematically investigate the associations between different types of nature contact, nature connectedness and behavioural outcomes. Study 4 used a bespoke cross-sectional survey to test the full conceptual model, including the proposed mediators. It was found that nature-behaviour associations differ, in both direction and strength, as a function of: a) the type of nature contact, and b) behavioural outcome. Specifically, after accounting for a range of covariates, residential nature contact (greenspace, green views) was associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours (current smoking, exceeding alcohol guidelines, poor diets), as well as greater engagement household pro-environmental behaviours. Intentional nature contact (nature visits) was linked to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in household pro-environmental behaviours. Indirect nature contact (watching/listening to nature media) was associated with a higher prevalence of current smoking and exceeding alcohol guidelines, as well as a lower prevalence of poor diets and more sustainable behaviours across domains (household, nature conservation). Nature connectedness was most consistently related to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviours (household, nature conservation). There was evidence that, under some circumstances, nature connectedness moderated nature-behaviour associations. Additionally, associations between nature contact/connectedness and behavioural outcomes were mediated by somewhat different combinations of positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. The complexity of the findings indicates that a more nuanced approach to the study of human-nature interactions is likely to be necessary to inform integrated environmental policies that are beneficial to both human and planetary health."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Behavioural determinants of human and planetary health: the role of nature contact and nature connectedness."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jon May, Sabine Pahl, Mathew White"],"dc:creator":["Martin, Leanne"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The benefits of natural environments for health and wellbeing are well-established, but less is known about their links human behaviour. This thesis presents a conceptual model proposing that increased contact with - and psychological connection to – nature will be associated with: a) a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, and b) greater engagement with pro-environmental behaviours, via positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. Studies 1-3 used representative cross-sectional datasets to systematically investigate the associations between different types of nature contact, nature connectedness and behavioural outcomes. Study 4 used a bespoke cross-sectional survey to test the full conceptual model, including the proposed mediators. It was found that nature-behaviour associations differ, in both direction and strength, as a function of: a) the type of nature contact, and b) behavioural outcome. Specifically, after accounting for a range of covariates, residential nature contact (greenspace, green views) was associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours (current smoking, exceeding alcohol guidelines, poor diets), as well as greater engagement household pro-environmental behaviours. Intentional nature contact (nature visits) was linked to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in household pro-environmental behaviours. Indirect nature contact (watching/listening to nature media) was associated with a higher prevalence of current smoking and exceeding alcohol guidelines, as well as a lower prevalence of poor diets and more sustainable behaviours across domains (household, nature conservation). Nature connectedness was most consistently related to a lower prevalence of poor diets and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviours (household, nature conservation). There was evidence that, under some circumstances, nature connectedness moderated nature-behaviour associations. Additionally, associations between nature contact/connectedness and behavioural outcomes were mediated by somewhat different combinations of positive affect, negative affect, community cohesion and temporal discounting. The complexity of the findings indicates that a more nuanced approach to the study of human-nature interactions is likely to be necessary to inform integrated environmental policies that are beneficial to both human and planetary health."],"dc:identifier":["10026.1/18613","https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-theses/10"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:subject":["Nature","Greenspace","Health Behaviour","Pro-environmental behaviour","Affect","Temporal discounting","social cohesion"],"dc:title":["Behavioural determinants of human and planetary health: the role of nature contact and nature connectedness."],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:50:32Z"}