Analyzing the mediators between nature-based outdoor recreation and emotional well-being

Abstract

The evidence concerning the relative importance of physical activity, restorative experiences, and social interaction as mediators between exposure to nature and well-being has been inconsistent. We investigated whether there is a relationship between the average time used for nature-based recreation and emotional well-being and whether it is mediated through restorative experiences, social company and the perceived duration of the most recent nature-based recreation visit.A sample of 3060 Finnish people (38.3% response rate) aged 15–74 years participated in a survey using an internet and a mail questionnaire.Multiple mediation analysis using bootstrapping revealed an association between the self-reported participation in nature-based recreation and emotional well-being through restorative experiences when adjusting for age, gender, household income, the level of leisure time physical activity, and the frequency of active transportation. The amount of social company or the duration of the most recent nature-based recreation visit did not mediate the association between the average time spent on nature-based recreation and emotional well-being.The result accords with the evidence of the restorative and well-being effects of nature exposure but more evidence of causality and studies comparing different mediators in different population groups are needed.