IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v11y2022i6p904-d838256.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived Qualities, Visitation and Felt Benefits of Preferred Nature Spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: A Nationally-Representative Cross-Sectional Study of 2940 Adults

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoqi Feng

    (School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
    Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia
    School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

  • Thomas Astell-Burt

    (Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia
    School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia)

Abstract

We investigated how the perceived quality of natural spaces influenced levels of visitation and felt benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia via a nationally representative online and telephone survey conducted on 12–26 October (Social Research Centre’s Life in Australia TM panel aged > 18 years, 78.8% response, n = 3043). Our sample was restricted to those with complete information ( n = 2940). Likert scale responses to 18 statements regarding the quality of local natural spaces that participants preferred to visit were classified into eight quality domains: access; aesthetics; amenities; facilities; incivilities; potential usage; safety; and social. These domains were then summed into an overall nature quality score (mean = 5.8, range = 0–16). Associations between these quality variables and a range of nature visitation and felt benefits were tested using weighted multilevel models, adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic confounders. Compared with participants in the lowest perceived nature quality quintile, those in the highest quality quintile had higher odds of spending at least 2 h in their preferred local nature space in the past week (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.40; 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] = 2.38–4.86), of visiting their preferred nature space almost every day in the past four weeks (OR = 3.90; 2.77–5.47), and of reporting increased levels of nature visitation in comparison with before the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 3.90; 2.54–6.00). Participants in the highest versus lowest perceived nature quality quintile also reported higher odds of feeling their visits to nature enabled them to take solace and respite during the pandemic (OR = 9.49; 6.73–13.39), to keep connected with their communities (OR = 5.30; 3.46–8.11), and to exercise more often than they did before the pandemic (OR = 3.88; 2.57–5.86). Further analyses of each quality domain indicated time in and frequency of visiting nature spaces were most affected by potential usage and safety (time in nature was also influenced by the level of amenity). Feelings of connection and solace were most affected by potential usage and social domains. Exercise was most influenced by potential usage, social and access domains. In conclusion, evidence reported in this study indicates that visits to nature and various health-related benefits associated with it during the COVID-19 pandemic were highly contingent upon numerous qualities of green and blue spaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoqi Feng & Thomas Astell-Burt, 2022. "Perceived Qualities, Visitation and Felt Benefits of Preferred Nature Spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: A Nationally-Representative Cross-Sectional Study of 2940 Adults," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:6:p:904-:d:838256
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/904/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/904/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Johnston, Robert J. & Thomassin, Paul J., 2010. "Willingness to Pay for Water Quality Improvements in the United States and Canada: Considering Possibilities for International Meta-Analysis and Benefit Transfer," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 39(1), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Clare Rishbeth & Mark Powell, 2013. "Place Attachment and Memory: Landscapes of Belonging as Experienced Post-migration," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(2), pages 160-178, April.
    3. Virginia Harris & Dave Kendal & Amy K. Hahs & Caragh G. Threlfall, 2018. "Green space context and vegetation complexity shape people’s preferences for urban public parks and residential gardens," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 150-162, January.
    4. Colleen E Reid & Emma S Rieves & Kate Carlson, 2022. "Perceptions of green space usage, abundance, and quality of green space were associated with better mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among residents of Denver," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Brenda B. Lin & Chia-chen Chang & Erik Andersson & Thomas Astell-Burt & John Gardner & Xiaoqi Feng, 2023. "Visiting Urban Green Space and Orientation to Nature Is Associated with Better Wellbeing during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Mateusz Ciski & Krzysztof Rząsa, 2023. "Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression in the Investigation of Local COVID-19 Anomalies Based on Population Age Structure in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Krzysztof Rząsa & Mateusz Ciski, 2022. "Influence of the Demographic, Social, and Environmental Factors on the COVID-19 Pandemic—Analysis of the Local Variations Using Geographically Weighted Regression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-26, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Moeltner, Klaus, 2019. "Bayesian nonlinear meta regression for benefit transfer," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 44-62.
    2. Abbie A. Rogers & Fiona L. Dempster & Jacob I. Hawkins & Robert J. Johnston & Peter C. Boxall & John Rolfe & Marit E. Kragt & Michael P. Burton & David J. Pannell, 2019. "Valuing non-market economic impacts from natural hazards," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 99(2), pages 1131-1161, November.
    3. Zana Vathi & Kathy Burrell, 2021. "The making and unmaking of an urban diaspora: The role of the physical environment and materialities in belongingness, displacement and mobilisation in Toxteth, Liverpool," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(6), pages 1211-1228, May.
    4. Kelei Li & Wenpeng Du & Zhiqi Yang & Huimin Yan & Yutong Mu, 2024. "Spatio-Temporal Pattern of Urban Green Space in Chengdu Urban Center under Rapid Urbanization: From the Policy-Oriented Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Kathy Burrell, 2016. "Lost in the ‘churn’? Locating neighbourliness in a transient neighbourhood," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(8), pages 1599-1616, August.
    6. Ben Pitcher, 2016. "Belonging to a Different Landscape: Repurposing Nationalist Affects," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 21(1), pages 77-89, February.
    7. Huber, Christopher & Meldrum, James & Richardson, Leslie, 2018. "Improving confidence by embracing uncertainty: A meta-analysis of U.S. hunting values for benefit transfer," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 33(PB), pages 225-236.
    8. Elena Prioreschi & Nici Zimmermann & Michael Davies & Irene Pluchinotta, 2024. "Interrelationships and Trade-Offs between Urban Natural Space Use and Biodiversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-29, May.
    9. Heather Klemick & Charles Griffiths & Dennis Guignet & Patrick Walsh, 2018. "Improving Water Quality in an Iconic Estuary: An Internal Meta-analysis of Property Value Impacts Around the Chesapeake Bay," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 69(2), pages 265-292, February.
    10. Helena Nordh & Katinka H. Evensen, 2022. "Landscape Architecture Design and Well-Being—Research Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-3, April.
    11. Londoño, Luz M. & Johnston, Robert J., 2012. "Enhancing the reliability of benefit transfer over heterogeneous sites: A meta-analysis of international coral reef values," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 80-89.
    12. Lennon, Mick & Douglas, Owen & Scott, Mark, 2019. "Responsive environments: An outline of a method for determining context sensitive planning interventions to enhance health and wellbeing," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 68-78.
    13. Heather Klemick & Charles Griffiths & Dennis Guignet & Patrick Walsh, 2015. "Explaining Variation in the Value of Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Using Internal Meta-analysis," NCEE Working Paper Series 201504, National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised Nov 2015.
    14. Maria Ignatieva & Duy Khiem Tran & Rosangela Tenorio, 2023. "Challenges and Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementing Ecological Designs in Green Public Spaces: A Case Study of Hue City, Vietnam," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, September.
    15. Kovacs, Kent F. & Polasky, Stephen & Keeler, Bonnie & Pennington, Derric & Nelson, Erik & Plantinga, Andrew J. & Taff, Steven J., 2012. "Evaluating the Return in Ecosystem Services from Investment in Public Land Acquisitions," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124660, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Choon-Lee Chai, 2022. "Picturing Settlement Experiences: Immigrant Women’s Senses of Comfortable and Uncomfortable Places in a Small Urban Center in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1567-1598, September.
    17. Maggie MacKinnon & Rebecca MacKinnon & Maibritt Pedersen Zari & Kain Glensor & Tim Park, 2022. "Urgent Biophilia: Green Space Visits in Wellington, New Zealand, during the COVID-19 Lockdowns," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-14, May.
    18. Alvarez, Sergio & Asci, Serhat, 2015. "Water Quality Improvements in Florida: A Benefits Transfer Valuation Approach," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205615, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Francesco Jacopo Pintus, 2023. "Valuing drinking water quality after a PFAS contamination event: results from a meta-analysis benefit transfer," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0308, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    20. Ralf C. Buckley & Mary-Ann Cooper, 2022. "Tourism as a Tool in Nature-Based Mental Health: Progress and Prospects Post-Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-15, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:6:p:904-:d:838256. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.