Chhajer Raina, Bapat Sudeep R
Humanities and Social Sciences Area, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indore, India.
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
PLoS One. 2025 May 30;20(5):e0323712. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323712. eCollection 2025.
In contemporary urban settings, enhancing the well-being of youth is a challenge. The proliferation of screen time, particularly post-pandemic, has contributed to an alarming disconnection with nature. This study investigates the impact of nature connectedness on the well-being of urban youth residing in the 25 most populated cities in India. 2283 urban youth responded to an online survey questionnaire that aimed to assess participants' exposure to and interaction with nature. Respondents self-reported their proximity to green and blue spaces near their residences, the frequency of recreational visits to these areas, time spent in indoor environments, nature connectedness, and well-being. Multivariate regression analysis results show that urban youth with access to both green and blue spaces within 1-kilometre or between 1-3 kilometres radius, along with frequent recreational visits to these spaces, reported a significant positive impact on well-being. Additionally, spending less than 8 hours in indoor environments and a high nature connectedness score had a significant positive impact on well-being. Moreover, a logistic regression analysis shows that urban youth with well-being score less than 13, considered mentally distressed, who have access to both green and blue spaces within 1 kilometres or access to green spaces between 1-3 kilometres, along with frequent recreational visits to these spaces, and a high nature connectedness score, increases their log-odds of well-being significantly. This study conducted in the 25 most populated cities, represents a comprehensive exploration of the impact of nature connectedness on well-being in India. The study does, however, have limitations, including uneven sample distribution among cities, the absence of temporal analysis, and a restricted age range of 18-25 years. These limitations will be addressed in future research. The implications of the study extend to policy recommendations, advocating for the development of more parks in close proximity to residential areas. Such initiatives aim to encourage urban youth to actively engage with and experience nature, fostering improved well-being and reduced distress levels.
在当代城市环境中，提升青少年的幸福感是一项挑战。尤其是疫情之后，屏幕使用时间的激增导致了与自然令人担忧的脱节。本研究调查了与自然的联系对居住在印度人口最多的25个城市的城市青少年幸福感的影响。2283名城市青少年对一份在线调查问卷做出了回应，该问卷旨在评估参与者与自然的接触和互动情况。受访者自行报告了他们住所附近绿色和蓝色空间的距离、前往这些区域进行休闲活动的频率、在室内环境中花费的时间、与自然的联系以及幸福感。多元回归分析结果表明，居住在半径1公里内或1 - 3公里之间既有绿色空间又有蓝色空间，并且经常前往这些空间进行休闲活动的城市青少年，其幸福感受到显著的积极影响。此外，在室内环境中花费少于8小时以及与自然的联系得分较高，对幸福感也有显著的积极影响。此外，逻辑回归分析表明，幸福感得分低于13分（被认为精神困扰）的城市青少年，如果居住在1公里内既有绿色空间又有蓝色空间，或者在1 - 3公里之间有绿色空间，并且经常前往这些空间进行休闲活动，以及与自然的联系得分较高，那么他们幸福感的对数优势会显著增加。这项在25个人口最多的城市进行的研究，全面探索了与自然的联系对印度幸福感的影响。然而，该研究确实存在局限性，包括城市间样本分布不均、缺乏时间分析以及年龄范围限制在18 - 25岁。这些局限性将在未来的研究中得到解决。该研究的意义延伸到政策建议，主张在居民区附近建设更多公园。此类举措旨在鼓励城市青少年积极接触和体验自然，促进幸福感提升并降低困扰程度。
