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Measuring Nature Contact: A Narrative Review

Author

Listed:
  • Isabel Holland

    (Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

  • Nicole V. DeVille

    (Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
    Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Matthew H. E. M. Browning

    (Department of Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Ryan M. Buehler

    (Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

  • Jaime E. Hart

    (Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
    Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

  • J. Aaron Hipp

    (Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
    Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

  • Richard Mitchell

    (MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK)

  • Donald A. Rakow

    (Section of Horticulture, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Jessica E. Schiff

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

  • Mathew P. White

    (European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
    Urban and Environmental Psychology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria)

  • Jie Yin

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA
    College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Peter James

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA
    Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

Abstract

While many studies suggest evidence for the health benefits of nature, there is currently no standardized method to measure time spent in nature or nature contact, nor agreement on how best to define nature contact in research. The purpose of this review is to summarize how nature contact has been measured in recent health research and provide insight into current metrics of exposure to nature at individual and population scales. The most common methods include surrounding greenness, questionnaires, and global positioning systems (GPS) tracking. Several national-level surveys exist, though these are limited by their cross-sectional design, often measuring only a single component of time spent in nature, and poor links to measures of health. In future research, exposure assessment combining the quantifying (e.g., time spent in nature and frequency of visits to nature) and qualifying (e.g., greenness by the normalized difference of vegetation index (NDVI) and ratings on perception by individuals) aspects of current methods and leveraging innovative methods (e.g., experience sampling methods, ecological momentary assessment) will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the health effects of nature exposure and inform health policy and urban planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Holland & Nicole V. DeVille & Matthew H. E. M. Browning & Ryan M. Buehler & Jaime E. Hart & J. Aaron Hipp & Richard Mitchell & Donald A. Rakow & Jessica E. Schiff & Mathew P. White & Jie Yin & , 2021. "Measuring Nature Contact: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:4092-:d:535200
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lara S. Franco & Danielle F. Shanahan & Richard A. Fuller, 2017. "A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-29, August.
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    6. Michelle C. Kondo & Kehinde O. Oyekanmi & Allison Gibson & Eugenia C. South & Jason Bocarro & J. Aaron Hipp, 2020. "Nature Prescriptions for Health: A Review of Evidence and Research Opportunities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-16, June.
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    Cited by:

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    4. Phi-Yen Nguyen & Thomas Astell-Burt & Hania Rahimi-Ardabili & Xiaoqi Feng, 2021. "Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-38, October.
    5. Håkan Nordström, 2023. "Does the risk of carbon leakage justify the CBAM?," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/08, European University Institute.
    6. Logan E. Mitchell & Chris A. B. Zajchowski, 2022. "The History of Air Quality in Utah: A Narrative Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-26, August.
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