{"id":{"repo_id":"uwo","oai_identifier":"oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27656"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwo/oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27656","repository":{"repo_id":"uwo","name":"Western University","base_url":"https://uwo.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring the Health Benefits of Nature for Children in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Settings","abstract":"A growing body of research suggests that increasing children’s exposure to natural environments can have positive benefits for their overall health and well-being. Using a mixed-methods approach, this thesis uses (a) surveys and spatial analyses within a geographic information system framework to examine how individual-level and environmental factors are associated with children’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and (b) semi-structured focus groups with children to understand how children living in a rural community define nature, experience nature, and perceive the benefits and drawbacks of nature. Results suggest that in addition to a number of important individual level variables, certain environmental characteristics were associated with higher levels of HRQOL. Qualitative findings build on these results demonstrating that children are aware of the mental health benefits of interacting with nature. The findings have implications for future research, policymakers, health practitioners, educators, and parents.","abstract_html":"A growing body of research suggests that increasing children’s exposure to natural environments can have positive benefits for their overall health and well-being. Using a mixed-methods approach, this thesis uses (a) surveys and spatial analyses within a geographic information system framework to examine how individual-level and environmental factors are associated with children’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and (b) semi-structured focus groups with children to understand how children living in a rural community define nature, experience nature, and perceive the benefits and drawbacks of nature. Results suggest that in addition to a number of important individual level variables, certain environmental characteristics were associated with higher levels of HRQOL. Qualitative findings build on these results demonstrating that children are aware of the mental health benefits of interacting with nature. The findings have implications for future research, policymakers, health practitioners, educators, and parents.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tillmann, Suzanne"],"institution":"The University of Western Ontario","degree_name":"M Sc","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Geography","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Gilliland, Jason"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-10-31","date_published":"2017-10-31","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:55:56Z","subjects":["Children","nature","mental health","health-related quality of life","mixed methods"],"languages":["en_ca"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27656","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Gilliland, Jason"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tillmann, Suzanne"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-10T15:31:27Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-10T15:31:27Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017-10-31"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The University of Western Ontario"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Geography"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M Sc"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Children","nature","mental health","health-related quality of life","mixed methods"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_ca"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27656"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A growing body of research suggests that increasing children’s exposure to natural environments can have positive benefits for their overall health and well-being. Using a mixed-methods approach, this thesis uses (a) surveys and spatial analyses within a geographic information system framework to examine how individual-level and environmental factors are associated with children’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and (b) semi-structured focus groups with children to understand how children living in a rural community define nature, experience nature, and perceive the benefits and drawbacks of nature. 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