Is It the Walk or the Park? Exploring Associations Between Exposure to Nature in General and Through Physical Activity and Positive Mental Health in Young Adults in Canada

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the relationship between exposure to nature in the context of (1) general life and (2) physical activity (PA) and positive mental health in young adults. METHODS: A total of 357 young adults (Mage = 21.9 y old) from the MATCH study reported their exposure to nature in 2 different contexts and positive mental health twice at 12-month intervals. Exposure to nature was categorized into 4 groups based on their self-reported exposure to nature (low or high) in general life and in the context of PA. Multivariable linear regression models assessed the relationship between nature exposure and positive mental health scores, controlling for gender, age, PA level, financial well-being, and positive mental health at baseline. RESULTS: Relative to the low general/low PA nature exposure group, the high general/high PA nature exposure group (β^ [95% CI] 3.61 [1.12 to 6.10]) reported better positive mental health scores, but the high general/low PA nature exposure group (β^ [95% CI], 1.71 [-1.78 to 4.60]) and low general/high PA nature exposure group (β^ [95% CI] 1.69 [-0.79 to 4.17]) were not different, after adjusting for all covariates, including positive mental health at baseline. CONCLUSION: The current study suggests that higher exposure to nature in both the context of PA and general life is associated with better mental health. It underscores the importance of encouraging exposure to nature in different contexts during early adulthood to foster and protect mental health.