Beyond passive exposure: active engagement and green behavior amplify urban wellbeing

Environmental conditions are increasingly recognized as important determinants of population health and wellbeing. However, the mechanisms linking environmental experiences to wellbeing remain insufficiently understood. Prior research rarely distinguishes between active environmental engagement and subjective environmental appraisal. It also typically examines these pathways in isolation. This study addresses this gap by using a pathway-specific multi-theory framework. We integrate Social Cognitive Theory, Attention Restoration Theory, and Social Exchange Theory in a single structural model. Using structural equation modeling and survey data from Shanghai residents, we examine three pathways linking environmental engagement, satisfaction, and green behavior to wellbeing. The results show that environmental engagement, satisfaction, and green behavior each have significant positive associations with wellbeing. In addition, green behavior partially mediates the relationship between environmental engagement and wellbeing. This indicates that the health-related benefits of engagement arise both directly and indirectly through behavioral translation. The findings contribute to the literature by providing simultaneous empirical evidence for distinct behavioral and affective pathways. We quantify their relative magnitudes and show that about two-fifths of the wellbeing benefits associated with environmental engagement are transmitted through green behavior. From a public health perspective, the results suggest that urban health promotion should move beyond improving environmental quality alone. Efforts should also foster residents' active participation in environmental action. A dual-track strategy that combines lowering barriers to civic engagement and supporting sustained private-sphere green practices may generate broader wellbeing benefits in urban settings.