Perceived Benefits of Nature in Diverse Populations

Joy L. Hart, Kandi L. Walker, Cameron K. Stopforth, Anna Simpson, Aruni Bhatnagar and Rachel J. Keith ()
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Joy L. Hart: Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
Kandi L. Walker: Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
Cameron K. Stopforth: Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, School of Medicine, Physiology Division, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Anna Simpson: School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Aruni Bhatnagar: Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, School of Medicine, Physiology Division, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Rachel J. Keith: Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, School of Medicine, Physiology Division, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The relationship between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and health effects of green spaces has been studied, suggesting that certain groups may reap more health benefits from exposure to nature. However, the link between the perceived benefits of nature and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics remains a gap in the literature. We used a subsample ( n = 711, 2018–2019) from an environmental cardiovascular risk cohort to investigate the perceived benefits of nature. Participants completed an 11-item survey about their perceptions of the benefits of nature at in-person visits. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics including income, education, race, biological sex at birth, and age, were self-reported. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associations between the perceived benefits of nature and demographic and socioeconomic factors; odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. Both unadjusted and fully adjusted models for race, age, sex, and education are reported. Our results suggest that participants who identified as male, a member of a minoritized population, and/or completing less education perceived nature as less beneficial. Although additional research is needed to better understand contributors to these perceptions, access to convenient, safe, and multi-use green spaces may be important in encouraging time in nature and shifting perceptions of the benefits of greenness.

Keywords: demographic determinants; socioeconomic determinants; perceived benefits of nature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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