Nature’s Role in Supporting Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Geospatial and Socioecological Study

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202101.0125.v1
• Publication Date: 2021-01-08T11:09:30Z
• Authors: Jake M. Robinson; Paul Brindley; Ross Cameron; Danielle MacCarthy; Anna Jorgensen
• Keywords: Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes to human lifestyles across the world. virus and associated social restriction measures have been linked an increase in mental health conditions. A considerable body of evidence shows that spending time engaging with nature can improve wellbeing. Our study explores nature’s role supporting during pandemic. We created web-based questionnaires validated instruments conducted spatial analyses a geographic information system (GIS). collected data on people’s patterns exposure, wellbeing responses, potential socioecological drivers such as relative deprivation, access greenspaces, land-cover greenness. applied range statistical including bootstrap resampled correlations binomial regression models, adjusting for several confounding factors. found respondents significantly changed their visiting result People spent more visited often generally benefit felt helped them cope Greater greenness within 250 m radius around respondent’s postcode was important predicting higher levels There were food-growing allotments 100 high scores. need mutually-advantageous relationship between humans wider biotic community never important. must conserve, restore design nature-centric environments maintain resilient societies planetary health.