Pathways to wellbeing: Residential nature, physical activity, and place-belongingness

Abstract

Engagement with nature can nurture both individual wellbeing and just societies. However, with the global rise in urbanization, ecological degradation, and a profound physical and psychological disconnection from nature, understanding the links between residential nature and wellbeing is vital. The relationships between residential nature and wellbeing are complex, and gaps in our knowledge remain, for example, about the pathways involved in benefiting residents’ wellbeing. In the current study, physical activity and place-belongingness are examined as two pathways mediating the benefits of residential outdoor spaces (recreation and hiking areas) on subjective wellbeing (affective, cognitive, and eudaimonic). Using path analysis, this study analyzed data from two consecutive waves of national wellbeing surveys in Norway (in 2020–2021) combined with register data (N = 35,079). Controlling for a host of confounders, two research questions were tested: 1) whether residential recreation and hiking areas relate to subjective wellbeing through physical activity and place-belongingness and 2) whether the strength of these pathways varies by age, gender, income, or urbanicity. The results of the path analyses widely affirmed these questions. Importantly, recreation areas and the place-belongingness pathway consistently showed the strongest relationships with subjective wellbeing. Moreover, older males in more rural areas appeared to experience stronger subjective wellbeing benefits from these pathways. These findings strengthen and advance the evidence base on how residential nature relates with wellbeing and grant insights for psychological science, urban planning, public health work, and outdoor education.