IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i19p12600-d932984.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green vs. Screen: Exploring the Outcomes of an In-Person and Virtual Nature-Based Environmental Education Intervention for Low-Income Children

Author

Listed:
  • Nadav L. Sprague

    (Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Ashby L. Sachs

    (Environmental Studies Department, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
    Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), 08003 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Christine C. Ekenga

    (Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

Abstract

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced a rapid transition to virtual learning. During the pandemic, many nature-based environmental education (NBEE) interventions shifted to virtual formats. In this study, we compare the impacts of a virtual NBEE intervention with its in-person NBEE counterpart. Between January and May 2021, a total of 49 low-income children (ages 9 to 13) from St. Louis, MO USA participated in this study. There were 37 children that participated in the virtual NBEE intervention and 12 students in the in-person NBEE intervention. Study participants completed a pre-/post-test survey that included items related to exposure to nature, perceived neighborhood safety, and self-reported quality of life. Children who participated in the in-person intervention reported higher post-intervention levels of nature exposure, perceived neighborhood safety, self-confidence, and self-efficacy than children who participated in the virtual intervention. The study’s findings have implications for the implementation of virtual learning during future public health emergencies and environmental disasters, including extreme climate events.

Suggested Citation

  • Nadav L. Sprague & Ashby L. Sachs & Christine C. Ekenga, 2022. "Green vs. Screen: Exploring the Outcomes of an In-Person and Virtual Nature-Based Environmental Education Intervention for Low-Income Children," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-11, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12600-:d:932984
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12600/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12600/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joan A. Casey & Peter James & Lara Cushing & Bill M. Jesdale & Rachel Morello-Frosch, 2017. "Race, Ethnicity, Income Concentration and 10-Year Change in Urban Greenness in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Carly Wood & David Barron & Nina Smyth, 2019. "The Current and Retrospective Intentional Nature Exposure Scales: Development and Factorial Validity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Christine C. Ekenga & Cora-Ann McElwain & Nadav Sprague, 2018. "Examining Public Perceptions about Lead in School Drinking Water: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Twitter Response to an Environmental Health Hazard," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, January.
    4. Christine C. Ekenga & Nadav Sprague & Damilola M. Shobiye, 2019. "Promoting Health-related Quality of Life in Minority Youth through Environmental Education and Nature Contact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-8, June.
    5. Federica Zabini & Lorenzo Albanese & Francesco Riccardo Becheri & Gioele Gavazzi & Fiorenza Giganti & Fabio Giovanelli & Giorgio Gronchi & Andrea Guazzini & Marco Laurino & Qing Li & Tessa Marzi & Fra, 2020. "Comparative Study of the Restorative Effects of Forest and Urban Videos during COVID-19 Lockdown: Intrinsic and Benchmark Values," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-13, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Valentina Roviello & Melinda Gilhen-Baker & Caterina Vicidomini & Giovanni N. Roviello, 2022. "The Healing Power of Clean Rivers: In Silico Evaluation of the Antipsoriatic Potential of Apiin and Hyperoside Plant Metabolites Contained in River Waters," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-9, February.
    2. Giulia Menculini & Francesco Bernardini & Luigi Attademo & Pierfrancesco Maria Balducci & Tiziana Sciarma & Patrizia Moretti & Alfonso Tortorella, 2021. "The Influence of the Urban Environment on Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus on Air Pollution and Migration—A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Annika M. Schoene & Ioannis Basinas & Martie van Tongeren & Sophia Ananiadou, 2022. "A Narrative Literature Review of Natural Language Processing Applied to the Occupational Exposome," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Ana Reyes-Menendez & José Ramón Saura & Cesar Alvarez-Alonso, 2018. "Understanding #WorldEnvironmentDay User Opinions in Twitter: A Topic-Based Sentiment Analysis Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Jeffers, Noelene K. & Berger, Blair O. & Marea, Christina X. & Gemmill, Alison, 2023. "Investigating the impact of structural racism on black birthing people - associations between racialized economic segregation, incarceration inequality, and severe maternal morbidity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    6. Tie Hua Zhou & Gong Liang Hu & Ling Wang, 2019. "Psychological Disorder Identifying Method Based on Emotion Perception over Social Networks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Ferdinando Fornara & Elena Rinallo & Massimiliano Scopelliti, 2023. "Contact with Nature in Social Deprivation during COVID-19: The Positive Impact on Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-14, July.
    8. Kirsten McEwan & Harriet Collett & Jean Nairn & Jamie Bird & Mark A. Faghy & Eric Pfeifer & Jessica E. Jackson & Caroline Cook & Amanda Bond, 2022. "The Feasibility and Impact of Practising Online Forest Bathing to Improve Anxiety, Rumination, Social Connection and Long-COVID Symptoms: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.
    9. Nooshin Razani & Nancy K. Hills & Doug Thompson & George W. Rutherford, 2020. "The Association of Knowledge, Attitudes and Access with Park Use before and after a Park-Prescription Intervention for Low-Income Families in the U.S," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, January.
    10. Viola Benedetti & Gioele Gavazzi & Fiorenza Giganti & Elio Carlo & Francesco Riccardo Becheri & Federica Zabini & Fabio Giovannelli & Maria Pia Viggiano, 2023. "Virtual Forest Environment Influences Inhibitory Control," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, July.
    11. Francesco Meneguzzo & Lorenzo Albanese & Michele Antonelli & Rita Baraldi & Francesco Riccardo Becheri & Francesco Centritto & Davide Donelli & Franco Finelli & Fabio Firenzuoli & Giovanni Margheritin, 2021. "Short-Term Effects of Forest Therapy on Mood States: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-21, September.
    12. J. C. Kitch & T. T. Nguyen & Q. C. Nguyen & Y. Hswen, 2023. "Changes in the relationship between Index of Concentration at the Extremes and U.S. urban greenspace: a longitudinal analysis from 2001–2019," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Rabya Mughal & Linda J. M. Thomson & Norma Daykin & Helen J. Chatterjee, 2022. "Rapid Evidence Review of Community Engagement and Resources in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Can Community Assets Redress Health Inequities?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-18, March.
    14. Ying Wang & Peiwen Luo, 2022. "Exploring the Needs of Elderly Care in China from Family Caregivers’ Perspective via Machine Learning Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, September.
    15. Ashby Lavelle Sachs & Eva Coringrato & Nadav Sprague & Angela Turbyfill & Sarah Tillema & Jill Litt, 2022. "Rationale, Feasibility, and Acceptability of the Meeting in Nature Together (MINT) Program: A Novel Nature-Based Social Intervention for Loneliness Reduction with Teen Parents and Their Peers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-16, September.
    16. Yibin Ao & Hao Zhu & Fanrong Meng & Yan Wang & Gui Ye & Linchuan Yang & Na Dong & Igor Martek, 2020. "The Impact of Social Support on Public Anxiety amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Mi-Jung Kang & Hyun-Sun Kim & Ji-Yeon Kim, 2022. "Effects of Forest-Based Interventions on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-13, April.
    18. Norimasa Takayama & Takeshi Morikawa & Kazuko Koga & Yoichi Miyazaki & Kenichi Harada & Keiko Fukumoto & Yuji Tsujiki, 2022. "Exploring the Physiological and Psychological Effects of Digital Shinrin-Yoku and Its Characteristics as a Restorative Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, January.

    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:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12600-:d:932984. 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.