Young Isabella, Looney Erin N, Chen Yanyan, Maddock Jay E, Kaczynski Andrew T
Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, U.S.A.
Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, U.S.A.
J Healthy Eat Act Living. 2025 Jun 1;5(2):136-145. eCollection 2025.
College students often face high stress and mental health challenges that impact their academic performance and well-being. Time spent in green space (TSIGS) may reduce depressive symptoms, alleviate anxiety, and enhance cognitive function. However, few studies investigate how nature directly impacts these factors among undergraduates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between TSIGS and anxiety, depression, and academic achievement among undergraduates at a Southeastern US university. This study surveyed undergraduate students (n=291), about anxiety, depression, academic performance, and TSIGS. Adjusted binary logistic regressions analyzed relationships between annual level of TSIGS (low, moderate, or high usage) or weekly TSIGS (low, moderate, or high usage) and three separate outcomes: levels of anxiety, levels of depression, and academic achievement level. Most participants held majors in public health (49.8%) or arts and sciences (15.8%), and were predominantly female (83.8%), sophomores (29.6%), and White (82.8%). Most respondents did not exhibit reported minimal/mild levels of anxiety (69.4%) or depression (63.2%), and most achieved high academic performance (71.5%). Regarding TSIGS, 26.8% of respondents reported low annual usage, while 54.6% reported high annual usage. Per week, 62.9%, 32.0%, and 5.2% of respondents had low, moderate, and high usage of green spaces, respectively. TSIGS was not significantly related to measurable levels of anxiety, depression, or academic achievement. This study found no significant relationships between students' TSIGS and their anxiety, depression, or academic achievement levels. Possible influences include seasonal factors and survey timing. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts of TSIGS on mental health and academic outcomes.
大学生经常面临高压力和心理健康挑战，这些会影响他们的学业成绩和幸福感。花在绿色空间的时间（TSIGS）可能会减轻抑郁症状、缓解焦虑并增强认知功能。然而，很少有研究调查自然环境如何直接影响大学生的这些因素。本研究的目的是评估美国东南部一所大学的大学生中TSIGS与焦虑、抑郁和学业成绩之间的关联。本研究对大学生（n = 291）进行了关于焦虑、抑郁、学业表现和TSIGS的调查。调整后的二元逻辑回归分析了TSIGS的年度水平（低、中或高使用量）或每周TSIGS（低、中或高使用量）与三个独立结果之间的关系：焦虑水平、抑郁水平和学业成绩水平。大多数参与者主修公共卫生（49.8%）或文理学科（15.8%），且主要为女性（83.8%）、大二学生（29.6%）和白人（82.8%）。大多数受访者未表现出报告的最低/轻度焦虑水平（69.4%）或抑郁水平（63.2%），且大多数取得了高学业成绩（71.5%）。关于TSIGS，26.8%的受访者报告年度使用量低，而54.6%报告年度使用量高。每周，分别有62.9%、32.0%和5.2%的受访者对绿色空间的使用量低、中、高。TSIGS与可测量的焦虑、抑郁或学业成绩水平无显著相关。本研究发现学生的TSIGS与他们的焦虑、抑郁或学业成绩水平之间无显著关系。可能的影响因素包括季节因素和调查时间。未来的研究应探讨TSIGS对心理健康和学业成果的纵向影响。
