Kise Shinyu
Department of Tourism and Health Studies (Sponsored by Ryukyuseimeisaiseikai), Institute for Tourism and Health, Naha, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Jun 30;17(6):e87063. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87063. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Nature-based physical activity (NBPA), outdoor sports conducted in natural (green or blue) environments, can simultaneously promote public health and regional tourism.
This study examined whether participation in tourism-oriented NBPA is associated with (i) attainment of the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) aerobic activity guidelines, (ii) perceived insufficient exercise, and (iii) self-rated health (SRH) in a nationally representative Japanese sample. We hypothesized that NBPA participants would show higher compliance with WHO physical activity guidelines, more favorable subjective health ratings, and lower perceived exercise insufficiency than non-participants, underscoring NBPA's potential as a public health strategy.
This secondary analysis used data from the Sports Life Survey 2024 (unweighted n = 2,896; weighted estimates reported). NBPA was defined as engaging at least once in the previous 12 months in one or more outdoor sports conducted in natural settings. Weighted logistic regression models were estimated in Python 3.11 (pandas 2.2.2, statsmodels 0.14.2, surveyweights 0.7.0; Python Software Foundation, Fredericksburg, VA, US) to compute adjusted odds ratios (Adj-ORs) for each outcome, controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).
NBPA participation was reported by 68.1% of respondents. NBPA participants had significantly higher odds of meeting the WHO guideline (Adj-OR = 2.38, 95% CI 2.01-2.80, p < 0.001) but showed no significant differences in perceived insufficient exercise (Adj-OR = 0.97, 0.80-1.19) or SRH (Adj-OR = 1.13, 0.95-1.36).
Even occasional NBPA more than doubles the likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines; however, infrequent participation does not appear to influence perceived exercise adequacy or overall health status. Public policies promoting regular, sustained NBPA engagement may yield broader health benefits and serve as models for integrating public health and tourism strategies globally.
基于自然的体育活动（NBPA），即在自然（绿色或蓝色）环境中进行的户外运动，可同时促进公众健康和区域旅游业发展。
本研究调查了参与以旅游为导向的NBPA是否与以下因素相关：（i）达到2020年世界卫生组织（WHO）有氧运动指南的要求；（ii）自觉运动不足；（iii）在具有全国代表性的日本样本中的自评健康状况（SRH）。我们假设，与未参与者相比，NBPA参与者对WHO身体活动指南的依从性更高，主观健康评分更优，且自觉运动不足的情况更少，这突出了NBPA作为一项公共卫生策略的潜力。
本二次分析使用了《2024年体育生活调查》的数据（未加权样本量n = 2,896；报告的是加权估计值）。NBPA被定义为在过去12个月中至少参与过一次在自然环境中进行的一项或多项户外运动。在Python 3.11（pandas 2.2.2、statsmodels 0.14.2、surveyweights 0.7.0；Python软件基金会，美国弗吉尼亚州弗雷德里克斯堡）中估计加权逻辑回归模型，以计算每个结果的调整优势比（Adj-ORs），同时控制年龄、性别和体重指数（BMI）。
68.1%的受访者报告参与了NBPA。NBPA参与者达到WHO指南要求的几率显著更高（Adj-OR = 2.38，95%置信区间2.01 - 2.80，p < 0.001），但在自觉运动不足（Adj-OR = 0.97，0.80 - 1.19）或SRH（Adj-OR = 1.13，0.95 - 1.36）方面没有显著差异。
即使偶尔参与NBPA，达到身体活动指南要求的可能性也会增加一倍多；然而，不经常参与似乎不会影响自觉运动充足程度或整体健康状况。促进定期、持续参与NBPA的公共政策可能会带来更广泛的健康益处，并成为全球整合公共卫生和旅游策略的典范。
