Developing a new tool to capture the nature dose to reduce loneliness and improve quality of life
Recognition of the health benefits of nature contact has increased. Simultaneously, growing numbers of people worldwide experience loneliness. There is a movement towards prescribing nature-based activities to improve/promote social connections, health, and quality of life. Yet, what constitutes a therapeutic nature dose is not well understood, due in part, to the lack of instruments that capture the characteristics of nature-based activities and measure 'nature dose.' We created a nature dose measurement tool to fill this gap by capturing various aspects of contact with nature and perceptions regarding park access, quality, naturalness, psychological distance to nature, and biodiversity. This tool will facilitate greater understanding of how natural areas, nature-based activities, and nature exposure reduce loneliness and promote health-related quality of life. Measuring nature dose with standardized tools and documenting benefits will generate the evidence base needed to design, implement and evaluate nature-based social interventions for improving health and quality of life.•This tool captures the nature dose to reduce loneliness and promote quality of life.•Constructs range from park quality and access, to mood, to biodiversity perceptions.•The standardized nature dose tool will help design nature-based social interventions.
Authors
- Katherine Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7092-4426)
- Nicholas Hill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6998-0559)
- Carolyn Daher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8753-5010)
- Laura Coll‐Planas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5204-8717)
- Laura Hidalgo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-3010)
- Jill Litt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8593-5400)
- Sarah Bekessy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0503-1979)
- Nerkez Opačin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8684-1550)
- Lucie Cattaneo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1815-1387)
- Ashby Lavelle Sachs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6237-9587)
- Montse Masó-Aguado
- Á. Bach
Institutions
- Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya (ES)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Ceres (US)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (ES)
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (FR)
- Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (ES)
- Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (ES)
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ES)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES)
- RMIT University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- MethodsX
- Published
- 2024-09-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2024.102969
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.94
Funders
- David and Elaine Potter Foundation
- Centres de Recerca de Catalunya
- Fundación Carmen y Severo Ochoa
- European Commission
- Ian Potter Foundation
- Generalitat de Catalunya
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
- Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Horizon 2020
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación