Next Article in Journal
Odds Ratio Estimation of Medical Students’ Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination
Next Article in Special Issue
Do Framed Mental Health Messages on Social Media Influence University Students’ Motivation for Physical Activity?
Previous Article in Journal
Promoting the Quality of Life of Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Previous Article in Special Issue
Training Healthcare Professionals on How to Promote Physical Activity in the UK: A Scoping Review of Current Trends and Future Opportunities
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Parental Mental Well-Being and Frequency of Adult-Child Nature Visits: The Mediating Roles of Parents’ Perceived Barriers

1
Public Health Research Program, Folkhälsan Research Center, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland
2
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-00791 Helsinki, Finland
3
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
4
Folkhälsans Förbund, FI-65100 Vaasa, Finland
5
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
6
Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
7
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 6814; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18136814
Submission received: 25 May 2021 / Revised: 21 June 2021 / Accepted: 22 June 2021 / Published: 25 June 2021
(This article belongs to the Collection Physical Activity and Public Health)

Abstract

:
Regular access to green space has been shown to provide several health benefits for children. However, children today spend less time outdoors. Thus, it has become important to understand what drives and limits children’s activities in nature. Based on a Finnish online survey of 1463 parents of children aged 2–7 conducted in 2019, the current study examined parents’ perceived barriers to visiting nature with their children. It also examined how parental mental well-being is related to families’ frequency of nature visits, and whether this association is mediated by different categories of parents’ perceived barriers. Eleven out of 12 barriers were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children. Next, factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution to the barriers. The results of a multiple mediation analysis showed that better parental mental well-being was associated with more frequent adult-child nature visits, and this relationship was partially mediated by a “lack of competence and logistics” and a “lack of time and interest”, but not by “insecurity and fear”. The results indicated that parents with poor mental well-being were more likely to perceive barriers to visiting nature, which in turn appeared to be related to a higher likelihood of having children who visited nature less frequently.

1. Introduction

Regular access to natural environments and interacting with nature have been shown to provide a great number of health benefits for children [1,2]. For example, in a review by McCormick [1], regular access to green space was associated with improved mental well-being, overall health and cognitive development of children aged between 0 to 18 years. Moreover, another review by Tillmann et al. [2] found that interacting with nature was related to increased overall mental health, improvements in symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), reduced stress, higher resilience, and improved health-related quality of life among children and adolescents younger than 18 years. In terms of physical health outcomes, exposure to green spaces has been linked with lower blood-pressure [3], longer sleep [4], improvement in motor fitness [5], and a lower prevalence of overweight/obesity and sedentary behavior [6] among children. In addition, the time children spend outdoors has been found to be more strongly related to physical activity than time spent indoors [7]. However, despite the potential health benefits of natural environments, children today spend less time outdoors interacting with nature [8,9]. At the same time, in several countries, a great number of children do not meet physical activity recommendations [10,11], which could partly be due to excessive use of media [12]. As encouraging young people to spend more time in nature could be a cost-effective way to increase their levels of physical activity and reduce their sedentary behavior, it has become important to understand what drives and limits children’s activities in nature. Since children spend more time in nature and green spaces with adults than without them [13], children’s opportunities to engage with and be physically active in nature are assumed to at least partly depend on whether their parents or other responsible adults spend time with them in nature.
In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the vital links between parental mental well-being (i.e., positive aspects of mental health; [14]), parenting behaviors and children’s health behaviors. For example, a meta-analytical review by Lovejoy et al. [15] found that poor maternal mental well-being was associated with weakened parenting behaviors: higher levels of hostile/coercive behavior, and lower levels of engagement and positive social interactions. Aspects of parental mental health have also been linked with physical activity levels in children, although evidence of this has been mixed. Some cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have associated higher levels of depressive symptoms among parents, mainly mothers, with lower levels of physical activity among children from low-income families [16], with high-income mothers [17], and among girls in particular [18]. In contrast, other studies have found no associations between parental depression or parental mental well-being in terms of self-esteem and life satisfaction, and children’s physical activity [19,20]. While these studies have focused on physical activity levels among children, less is known about how parental mental well-being is related to children’s nature visits, which generally involve components of physical activity [7].
If parents perceive a high degree of barriers to taking their child out in nature, children’s opportunities to be physically active might be restricted [21]. In a Norwegian study, parents reported that the main barriers to visiting nature with their child were that the child was too busy during leisure time, and that the child spent too much time on homework. In addition, concerns about traffic were perceived as a significant barrier [22]. Parents’ safety concerns seem to be an important reason why children spend less time outdoors [23,24]. A review by Carver et al. [25] revealed that parental barriers in terms of perceptions of neighborhood safety were negatively related to children’s and adolescents’ physical activity. For example, Weir et al. [26] found that higher parental anxiety about neighborhood safety was weakly associated with a lower amount of physical activity among 5- to 10-year-old children living in an inner-city environment in the US, but not among children living in a suburban environment. Moreover, a study of 10- to 12-year-old US children found that children of parents who perceived their neighborhood as unsafe for playing outside were less likely to use recreational facilities (e.g., public parks) and engaged less in physical activity than children whose parents perceived their neighborhood as very safe [27]. Parents’ perceptions of barriers, particularly in terms of safety concerns, could also be related to their mental health or well-being. For example, one previous study found that higher levels of anxiety were associated with higher overprotection (i.e., parenting behaviors that restrict a child’s exposure to perceived threats or harm) among mothers [28]. However, previous studies have not considered the potential link between parental mental well-being and parents’ perceived barriers to taking their child out in nature.
In sum, children today spend less time outdoors interacting with nature [8,9]. As spending time in nature is linked with a variety of health benefits (e.g., [1,2]), and families have been identified as playing a crucial role in influencing children’s nature-based activities (e.g., [13]), it has become important to understand which parental factors facilitate or hinder children’s nature visits. As argued above, poor parental mental well-being and higher levels of parents’ perceived barriers have previously been associated with lower levels of physical activity among children [15,17,18,25,27]. In addition, mothers reporting poor mental well-being have been demonstrated as tending to report being overly concerned about their children’s safety (i.e., overprotective) [28]. However, less is known about how parental mental well-being and parental barriers are related to adult-child nature activities. An understanding of these associations would provide valuable insights into how to promote children’s engagement in nature activities, and could be important for future parent- and family-focused health interventions.
The first aim of this study was to examine parents’ perceived barriers to visiting nature with their child. The second aim was to examine the association between parental mental well-being and the frequency of families’ nature visits, and whether this association was mediated by different categories of parents’ perceived barriers. In the hypothesized mediation model, presented in Figure 1, better parental mental well-being was expected to be associated with a higher frequency of adult-child nature visits. Secondly, parents’ perceived barriers were expected to partially mediate this association, in a way that parents with poorer mental wellbeing would be more likely to perceive barriers to taking their child out in nature, which in turn would be associated with having children who are taken out in nature less frequently.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Participants and Procedure

In 2019, 1480 parents from different parts of Finland responded to an online cross-sectional survey and took part in the “Naturkraft” (Naturepower) project. Only parents with children meeting the age criteria of 2–7 years were included in this study, N = 1463 (approximately 99% of all participants). The main goal of the project was to gain new insights into the nature activities of families and the related parental and sociodemographic factors. The term “parental” referred to one of the child’s responsible adults, regardless of whether they had a genetic connection to the child. The survey was distributed through multiple channels consisting of networks of collaborative associations, organizations and day care centers, as well as Facebook groups targeted at local residents, parents and single parents. The survey was open from 29 April to 16 June 2019 in both Finnish and Swedish. The raw data of the study included a questionnaire consisting of a set of questions, of which only a few were included in this study. The University of Helsinki’s ethical review board in humanities and social and behavioral sciences granted ethical approval for this research (Statement 21/2019). Participation in the study was voluntary and participants provided their informed consent.

2.2. Measures

In the questionnaire, nature was defined as “natural outdoor and green areas such as forests, beaches, streams, fields and parks, but not own courtyards or built playgrounds”. Frequency of adult-child nature visits was assessed by asking parents the following question: “During the previous month, how often was at least one adult in the family out in nature with the child?” (1 = never, 2 = once, 3 = 2–3 times, 4 = once or twice a week, 5 = 3–4 times a week, and 6 = 5 times a week or more). This question was partially adapted from previous research [29,30].
Parental mental well-being was assessed using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS) [31] which consists of seven items: “I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future”, “I’ve been feeling useful”, “I’ve been feeling relaxed”, “I’ve been dealing with problems well”, “I’ve been thinking clearly”, “I’ve been feeling close to other people”, and “I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things”. Respondents were asked to indicate how often they had experienced each statement in the last two weeks on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = none of the time, 2 = rarely, 3 = some of the time, 4 = often, and 5 = all of the time). The SWEMWBS was scored by first summing the scores for each of the seven items. The total raw scores were then transformed into metric scores using the SWEMWBS conversion table, with higher scores indicating better levels of mental well-being (range 7 to 35). Cronbach’s Alpha measure of internal consistency for the SWEMWBS in this study was 0.79. Permission to use the Finnish version of the scale was received from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and permission to use the Swedish version was received from the University of Warwick.
Parents’ perceived barriers were assessed by asking “Do the following reasons prevent you from visiting nature with your child?” followed by 12 items, which are presented in Figure 1. Parents rated each item on a 3-point scale (1 = no, 2 = to some extent, and 3 = very much). The items were partially adapted from previous research [22,29]. For further analysis, the items were grouped into three components by exploratory factor analysis. These were labelled “Lack of competence and logistics”, “Lack of time or interest”, and “Insecurity and fear”, and are presented in the results section.
Sociodemographic variables included the children’s age (years), children’s gender (1 = girl, 2 = boy), household type (1 = two-parent household, 2 = single-parent household), and parents’ perceived economic situation and the educational attainment of the parent who answered the questionnaire. The parents’ perceived economic situation was assessed by asking “How do you assess your family’s financial situation?” on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very poor, 2 = fairly poor, 3 = decent, 4 = fairly good, and 5 = very good). Parental educational attainment was assessed on a 5-point scale (1 = primary school, 2 = vocational school, 3 = upper secondary school, 4 = polytechnic, lower university degree or institute degree, 5 = higher university degree or higher degree (licentiate/doctor)) and was recoded into three categories before the analyses (1 [low] = primary school, vocational school or upper secondary school graduate, 2 [medium]= bachelor’s degree or institute degree, and 3 [high] = master’s degree or higher).

2.3. Data Analysis

Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Before all the analyses, the “Don’t know/Cannot say” options (<1% of responses in each variable) were coded as missing. The Nmiss-function was used before coding variables into mean scores, when only the parents who had answered at least 70% of the instrument’s questions were included in the preliminary and main analyses. Descriptive statistics were derived from means (M), standard deviations (SD) and frequencies (%). For the parents’ perceived barriers, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted using the principal component method with varimax rotation to examine whether these items enfolded several dimensions. The items were included in the factors if their loading was at least 0.40. Spearman’s rank correlation test was used to examine any possible association between the study and background variables.
Andrew Hayes Process Macro version 3.5 implemented in SPSS was used to test the hypothetical mediation model [32]. One single mediation analysis was run, which included all mediating variables in the same model. Bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals (CI) were produced of the mediation effects with 5000 bootstrapped samples generated by the bootstrapped sampling approach [32]. Only complete cases were included in the analysis (N = 1377). Children’s age, parents’ perceived economic situation, parental educational attainment, and household type were controlled for as covariates in the mediation analysis.

3. Results

3.1. Descriptive Statistics for Demographics and Key Variables

The descriptive statistics for demographic variables and the frequency of adult-child nature visits are summarized in Table 1. The majority of parents were 31 to 40 years old (67%), mothers (96%), and lived with a partner (89%). Of the children aged between two and seven years (M = 4.28, SD = 1.57), 49% were girls and 51% boys. The mean score of parental mental well-being was 23.56 (SD = 3.60). The mean score of the frequency of adult-child nature visits was 4.01 (SD = 1.22). Most parents reported that their children had been out in nature with at least one adult in the family once a week or more (67%) during the previous month, followed by one to three times a month (30%). Only 3% of the parents reported that their children had not been out in nature even once with an adult of the family during the previous month.

3.2. Identified Barriers Perceived by Parents

Of the 12 parents’ perceived barriers examined, 11 were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children (Figure 2). The most frequently reported barrier was “Lack of time”; 53% of parents reported this reason as preventing them from visiting nature with their child to some extent, and 33% of parents reported this reason as preventing them a great deal. Other barriers that parents more frequently perceived as reasons that prevented them at least to some extent from visiting nature with their children included it being too difficult to get out with their children, followed by nature areas being too far away or transport connections being poor, parents being afraid of animals or insects, and not knowing where to go. Items that were less frequently reported as barriers were related to the parents not being interested, followed by being afraid someone would get hurt in nature, and not knowing what to do in nature.

3.3. Exploratory Factor Analysis of Parents’ Perceived Barriers

For further analysis, the items of parents’ perceived barriers were grouped by an exploratory factor analysis. The factor structure and factor loadings of these items are presented in Table 2. The exploratory factor analysis suggested three main factors, each with eigenvalues above 1. The first factor, labelled “Lack of competence and logistics” (M = 1.27, SD = 0.35), included four items with loadings ranging from 0.41 to 0.81 and explained 16% of the variance. The second factor, labelled “Lack of time and interest” (M = 1.44, SD = 0.32), included five items with loadings ranging from 0.48 to 0.69 and explained 16% of the variance. The third factor, “Insecurity and fear” (M = 1.22, SD = 0.34), included three items and explained 15% of the variance with loadings ranging from 0.56 to 0.78. Composite scores were computed by averaging the scores within each subscale. Cronbach’s alpha values for the subscales were α = 0.62 for factor 1, α = 0.55 for factor 2, and α = 0.57 for factor 3. In the sections below, these three factors are referred to as “categories of parents’ perceived barriers”.

3.4. Correlations among Study Variables

Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients are presented in Table 3. The frequency of adult-child nature visits correlated positively with parental mental well-being, and negatively with all three categories of parents’ perceived barriers (p < 0.001). Of the background variables, child gender was not significantly associated with any study variables and was thus not controlled for in subsequent analyses.

3.5. Parents’ Perceived Barriers as Mediating Variables in the Relationship between Parental Mental Well-Being and Frequency of Adult-Child Nature Visits

As shown in the multiple mediation model in Figure 3, when we controlled for background variables, we found a direct positive relationship between parental mental well-being and the frequency of adult-child nature visits (p < 0.05), meaning that better parental mental well-being was related to a higher frequency of adult-child nature visits. Parental mental well-being was also negatively associated with parents’ perceived barriers in all three barrier categories (p < 0.001), meaning that worse parental mental well-being was related to parents perceiving these statements as barriers to visiting nature with their children. Two of the parents’ perceived barrier categories—“Lack of competence and logistics” and “Lack of time and interest”—were negatively related to frequency of adult-child nature visits (p < 0.001), indicating that perceiving these statements as barriers to visiting nature was associated with a lower frequency of adult-child nature visits. The “Insecurity and fear” barrier category was not significantly related to the frequency of adult-child nature visits (p > 0.05).
The multiple mediation model was significant and explained 19% of the variance in the frequency of adult-child nature visits (R2 = 0.19, F(8, 1368) = 40.13, p < 0.001). Among the evaluated mediators, two of the parents’ perceived barriers categories—“Lack of competence and logistics” and “Lack of time and interest”—partially and significantly mediated the association between parental mental well-being and the frequency of adult-child nature visits (p < 0.001; indirect effects presented in Figure 3). However, the “Insecurity and fear” barrier category did not significantly mediate this association (p > 0.05). For the regression coefficient values of the background variables included in the mediation model, see Supplementary Table S1.

4. Discussion

The present study examined parents’ perceived barriers to visiting nature with their children. This was also the first time that the association between parental mental well-being and the frequency of adult-child nature visits in families was studied, and whether different categories of parents’ perceived barriers mediate this association. The goal of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of how various parental factors relate to nature visit frequency in families, as this could be of importance in future parent- and family-focused health interventions. We found that 11 out of the 12 single barriers were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children. Factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution for the barriers. Mediation analysis showed that better parental mental well-being was directly associated with more frequent adult-child nature visits when background variables were controlled for. We also found that two of the barrier categories—”Lack of competence and logistics” and “Lack of time and interest”—significantly mediated the association between parental mental well-being and the frequency of adult-child nature visits. However, “Insecurity and fear” did not significantly mediate this association.
Although most of the examined barriers were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children, some of them were perceived as more important than others. The most frequently reported barrier was lack of time, followed by difficulty getting out with the child, nature areas being too far away, or transport connections being poor, and parents being afraid of animals or insects and not knowing where to go. Some of these results are in line with those of a previous Norwegian study in which parents generally perceived a low degree of barriers and that time pressure in children’s leisure time was the main barrier to visiting nature with their children [22]. Thus, time management advice and scheduling free-time activities could possibly help families reduce obstacles to visiting nature.
The results of the mediation analysis make an important contribution as they show that parents with poor mental well-being were more likely to perceive barriers in two categories, which in turn was related to a higher likelihood of having children who less frequently visited nature with an adult. Among our hypothesized mediators of the association between parental mental well-being and the frequency of adult-child nature visits, “Lack of time and interest” appeared to be the main mediator, followed by “Lack of competence and logistics”. Our mediation model explained about 19% of the association, indicating that other mediators may also be involved. Future research could explore these further. We also found that parents with poor mental well-being were more likely to perceive barriers in all three barrier categories. As these associations have not been studied before, we were unable to compare the results of the mediation model with previous findings.
These findings could have implications for future intervention strategies. Further studies need to explore whether a causal link exists between the variables, and if this is the case, intervention strategies could focus on screening parents for poor mental well-being and offer them support and treatment. This, in turn, could possibly increase adult-child nature visits both directly and indirectly through lower levels of perceived barriers. Another option could be to arrange nature-based interventions aimed at both improving parental well-being and supporting children’s opportunities to get out into nature with their parents. For instance, this could be attained through low-cost guided group activities for families. Parents would possibly overcome barriers as the guide could provide instructions on where to go and what to do outdoors, and they would have the opportunity to recover in nature while simultaneously being able to interact with and receive support from other parents. Their children could also benefit from these group activities in several ways, as they would have the opportunity to spend time outdoors, improve their relationship with nature, play with peers, and increase their physical activity. Smartphone apps could also be utilized. For example, a previous intervention aimed at increasing the connection with nature and well-being among adults used a smartphone app for 30 days, and found that the well-being of participants who had been using the app improved significantly, and that participants with poorer well-being at baseline were even more likely to benefit from the intervention [33]. Parents could also be informed about apps for scheduling leisure-time activities, finding nature reserves or getting ideas for things to do in nature. This may help them perceive fewer barriers to going out into nature with their children (e.g., the iNaturalist application; [34]).
Among the limitations of the study were its cross-sectional design, meaning that we could make no causal interpretation of the relationships. Contrary to our hypothesized direction of associations, parents who spend more time in nature with their children may feel better mentally, and as a possible consequence, perceive fewer barriers. Another limitation is the use of self-reported data from only one source, mainly mothers (96%). On the other hand, the formulation of our question on nature visit frequency referred to at least one adult in the family, which could have been the mother, father or other adults in the family. Therefore, our results suggest that if one parent has poor mental well-being, their child is more likely to be taken out into nature less frequently by any adult in the family. In addition, the collected data did not clarify whether the recruited adults were biological parents, adoptive parents, or step-parents. The findings should be generalized with caution because the sample did not necessarily represent the population in general. Most parents in the sample had positive attitudes towards nature visits and self-selection bias may have occurred, leading parents who perceived nature activities as highly beneficial to be more willing to participate in this study. This could also be why to a large extent parents perceived the examined barriers as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children. The high proportion of parents who appreciated nature activities in this sample could also be explained by a social desirability bias, causing respondents to answer in a manner that would be viewed favorably by others. It should also be noted that the mean score of the mental well-being measure (SWEMWBS) was somewhat lower in this study than in prior population-based samples in some Nordic countries [35].
The measures in this study may also have limitations. The nature visit frequency measure did not investigate the type of activities carried out during nature visits (e.g., walking, running, playing, climbing, swimming, or sitting), how engaged the child was, or for how long the activity lasted. Moreover, it did not explicitly clarify which adults of the family spent time in nature with the child. Finally, as the reliability of the parental barriers was not high, with values of Cronbach’s Alpha ranging from 0.55 to 0.62, the results should be interpreted with caution. Future research should continue to seek to understand the associations between parental mental well-being, perceived barriers and nature visit frequencies, and their implications for the health of both generations. For example, longitudinal research is needed, and researchers should collect data from multiple sources using multiple methods (observations, enrolment records, self- and other -reports) and further explore the types and intensity of the activities carried out in nature. Moreover, follow-up work is needed to assess the extent to which the results from this study are applicable to other cultures and all family structures, including those with same-sex parents or non-biological parents.
Despite these limitations, the present study has several important strengths, one of which is its large sample of participants (N = 1463) living in different parts of the country. Detailed information was collected on the parents’ barriers, and they were adjusted for a range of potential confounders of the associations between the study variables. The use of the SWEMWBS for measuring parental mental well-being was another strength, given that this scale has been widely used in population-based research [35,36,37] and has been shown to be a valid instrument for measuring mental well-being among adults in Denmark, Norway and Sweden [35,38]. In addition, our results highlight an interesting pathway between parental factors and the frequency of adult-child nature visits, and may inform future development of health-promoting activities.
This study was the first to examine whether parental mental well-being is related to the frequency of adult-child nature visits. Overall, most of the examined barriers were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children. Better parental mental well-being was associated with more frequent adult-child nature visits, and this relationship was partially mediated by “Lack of competence and logistics” and “Lack of time and interest”, but not by “Insecurity and fear”. As encouraging children to spend more time in nature could be a cost-effective way to increase their levels of physical activity and overall well-being, more work on deepening our understanding of the factors that may support or prevent their opportunities for nature activities is needed.

5. Conclusions

In a sample of 1463 participants, the present study found that most of the examined barriers were largely perceived by parents as reasons that did not prevent them from visiting nature with their children. Moreover, better parental mental well-being was associated with more frequent adult-child nature visits, and this relationship was partially mediated by “Lack of competence and logistics” and “Lack of time and interest”, but not by “Insecurity and fear”. More work on deepening our understanding of the factors that may support or prevent children’s opportunities for nature activities is needed.

Supplementary Materials

The following are available online at https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/article/10.3390/ijerph18136814/s1, Table S1: Regression coefficients for background variables in mediation model.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.G., A.O., P.H., E.E. and C.R.; methodology, J.G., A.O., P.H., E.E. and C.R.; formal analysis, J.G.; investigation, P.H., A.W.-E. and N.T.; writing—original draft preparation and editing, J.G.; writing—review, A.O., P.H., E.E., A.W.-E., N.T., E.R. and C.R.; supervision, A.O., E.R. and C.R.; project administration, C.R.; funding acquisition, C.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by The Folkhälsan Research Center and The Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation. Ann Ojala was supported by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) [grant number 41007-00155000].

Institutional Review Board Statement

This study was approved by the University of Helsinki’s ethical review board in humanities and social and behavioral sciences (Statement 21/2019).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy.

Acknowledgments

Open access funding provided by University of Helsinki.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. McCormick, R. Does Access to Green Space Impact the Mental Well-being of Children: A Systematic Review. J. Pediatr. Nurs. 2017, 37, 3–7. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Tillmann, S.; Tobin, D.; Avison, W.; Gilliland, J. Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: A systematic review. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2018, 72, 958–966. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Markevych, I.; Thiering, E.; Fuertes, E.; Sugiri, D.; Berdel, D.; Koletzko, S.; von Berg, A.; Bauer, C.P.; Heinrich, J. A cross-sectional analysis of the effects of residential greenness on blood pressure in 10-year old children: Results from the GINIplus and LISAplus studies. BMC Public Health 2014, 14, 477. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  4. Söderström, M.; Boldemann, C.; Sahlin, U.; Martensson, F.; Raustorp, A.; Blennow, M. The quality of the outdoor environment influences childrens health—A cross-sectional study of preschools. Acta Paediatr. 2013, 102, 83–91. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  5. Gill, T. The Benefits of Children’s Engagement with Nature: A Systematic Literature Review. Child. Youth Environ. 2014, 24, 10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Dadvand, P.; Villanueva, C.M.; Font-Ribera, L.; Martinez, D.; Basagana, X.; Belmonte, J.; Vrijheid, M.; Gražulevičienė, R.; Kogevinas, M.; Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J. Risks and Benefits of Green Spaces for Children: A Cross-Sectional Study of Associations with Sedentary Behavior, Obesity, Asthma, and Allergy. Environ. Health Perspect. 2014, 122, 1329–1335. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Pearce, M.; Page, A.S.; Griffin, T.P.; Cooper, A.R. Who children spend time with after school: Associations with objectively recorded indoor and outdoor physical activity. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2014, 11, 45. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  8. Kemple, K.M.; Oh, J.; Kenney, E.; Smith-Bonahue, T. The Power of Outdoor Play and Play in Natural Environments. Child. Educ. 2016, 92, 446–454. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Soga, M.; Gaston, K.J. Extinction of experience: The loss of human–nature interactions. Front. Ecol. Environ. 2016, 14, 94–101. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  10. Aubert, S.; Barnes, J.D.; Abdeta, C.; Nader, P.A.; Adeniyi, A.F.; Aguilar-Farias, N.; Tenesaca, D.S.A.; Bhawra, J.; Brazo-Sayavera, J.; Cardon, G.; et al. Global Matrix 3.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Youth: Results and Analysis From 49 Countries. J. Phys. Act. Health 2018, 15, 251–273. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  11. Tremblay, M.S.; Barnes, J.D.; González, S.A.; Katzmarzyk, P.T.; Onywera, V.O.; Reilly, J.J.; Tomkinson, G.R. Global Matrix 2.0 Research Team. Global matrix 2.0: Report card grades on the physical activity of children and youth comparing 38 countries. J. Phys. Act. Health 2016, 11, S343–S366. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  12. Strasburger, V.C. Children, adolescents, obesity, and the media. Pediatrics 2011, 128, 201–208. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  13. Skar, M.; Gundersen, V.; Bischoff, A.; Follo, G.; Pareliussen, I.; Tordsson, B.; Stordahl, G. Barn og Natur. En Nasjonal Spørreundersøkelse. NINA Temahefte nr. 54. 2014. Available online: https://www.nina.no/archive/nina/PppBasePdf/temahefte/054.pdf (accessed on 22 January 2021).
  14. Tennant, R.; Hiller, L.; Fishwick, R.; Platt, S.; Joseph, S.; Weich, S.; Parkinson, J.; Secker, J.; Stewart-Brown, S. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health Qual. Life Outcomes 2007, 5, 63. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  15. Lovejoy, M.C.; Graczyk, P.A.; O’Hare, E.; Neuman, G. Maternal depression and parenting behavior: A meta-analytic review. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 2000, 20, 561–592. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Fernald, L.C.H.; Jones-Smith, J.C.; Ozer, E.J.; Neufeld, L.M.; DiGirolamo, A.M. Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Physical Activity in Very Low-Income Children. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2008, 29, 385–393. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  17. Foster, B.A.; Weinstein, K.; Mojica, C.M.; Davis, M.M. Parental Mental Health Associated with Child Overweight and Obesity, Examined Within Rural and Urban Settings, Stratified by Income. J. Rural. Health 2020, 36, 27–37. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Duarte, C.S.; Shen, S.; Wu, P.; Must, A. Maternal depression and child BMI: Longitudinal findings from a US sample. Pediatr. Obes. 2012, 7, 124–133. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  19. Maher, J.P.; Ra, C.; O’Connor, S.G.; Belcher, B.R.; Leventhal, A.; Margolin, G.; Dunton, G.F. Associations Between Maternal Mental Health and Well-being and Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2017, 38, 385–394. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Zarychta, K.; Banik, A.; Kulis, E.; Boberska, M.; Radtke, T.; Chan, C.K.Y.; Luszczynska, A. Parental Depression Predicts Child Body Mass via Parental Support Provision, Child Support Receipt, and Child Physical Activity: Findings from Parent/Caregiver–Child Dyads. Front. Psychol. 2020, 11, 161. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  21. Smith, B.J.; Grunseit, A.; Hardy, L.L.; King, L.; Wolfenden, L.; Milat, A. Parental influences on child physical activity and screen viewing time: A population-based study. BMC Public Health 2010, 10, 593. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  22. Skar, M.; Wold, L.C.; Gundersen, V.; O’Brien, L. Why do children not play in nearby nature? Results from a Norwegian survey. J. Advent. Educ. Outdoor Learn. 2016, 16, 239–255. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  23. Gray, P. The decline of play and the rise of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Am. J. Play 2011, 3, 443–463. [Google Scholar]
  24. Sandseter, E.B.H.; Cordovil, R.; Hagen, T.L.; Lopes, F. Barriers for Outdoor Play in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Institutions: Perception of Risk in Children’s Play among European Parents and ECEC Practitioners. Child Care Pract. 2019, 26, 1–19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  25. Carver, A.; Timperio, A.; Crawford, D. Playing it safe: The influence of neighbourhood safety on children’s physical activity. A review. Health Place 2008, 14, 217–227. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  26. Weir, L.A.; Etelson, D.; Brand, D.A. Parents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety and children’s physical activity. Prev. Med. 2006, 43, 212–217. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Galaviz, K.I.; Zytnick, D.; Kegler, M.C.; Cunningham, S.A. Parental Perception of Neighborhood Safety and Children’s Physical Activity. J. Phys. Act. Health 2016, 13, 1110–1116. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  28. Clarke, K.; Cooper, P.; Creswell, C. The Parental Overprotection Scale: Associations with child and parental anxiety. J. Affect. Disord. 2013, 151, 618–624. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  29. Boyd, F.; White, M.P.; Bell, S.L.; Burt, J. Who doesn’t visit natural environments for recreation and why: A population representative analysis of spatial, individual and temporal factors among adults in England. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2018, 175, 102–113. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Määttä, S.; Ray, C.; Vepsäläinen, H.; Lehto, E.; Kaukonen, R.; Ylönen, A.; Roos, E. Parental Education and Pre-School Children’s Objectively Measured Sedentary Time: The Role of Co-Participation in Physical Activity. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 366. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  31. Stewart-Brown, S.; Tennant, A.; Tennant, R.; Platt, S.; Parkinson, J.; Weich, S. Internal construct validity of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): A Rasch analysis using data from the Scottish Health Education Population Survey. Health Qual. Life Outcomes 2009, 7, 15. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  32. Hayes, A. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach, 2rd ed.; Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA, 2018. [Google Scholar]
  33. McEwan, K.; Richardson, M.; Sheffield, D.; Ferguson, F.; Brindley, P. Assessing the feasibility of public engagement in a smartphone app to improve well-being through nature connection. PsyEcology 2021, 1–32. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Unger, S.; Rollins, M.; Tietz, A.; Dumais, H. iNaturalist as an engaging tool for identifying organisms in outdoor activities. J. Biol. Educ. 2020, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  35. Koushede, V.; Lasgaard, M.; Hinrichsen, C.; Meilstrup, C.; Nielsen, L.; Rayce, S.B.; Torres-Sahli, M.; Gudmundsdottir, D.M.; Stewart-Brown, S.; Santini, Z.I. Measuring mental well-being in Denmark: Validation of the original and short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS and SWEMWBS) and cross-cultural comparison across four European settings. Psychiatry Res. 2019, 271, 502–509. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  36. Guo, N.; Luk, T.T.; Ho, S.Y.; Lee, J.J.; Shen, C.; Oliffe, J.; Chan, S.S.-C.; Lam, T.H.; Wang, M.P. Problematic Smartphone Use and Mental Health in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 844. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  37. Ng Fat, L.; Scholes, S.; Boniface, S.; Mindell, J.; Stewart-Brown, S. Evaluating and establishing national norms for mental wellbeing using the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS): Findings from the Health Survey for England. Qual. Life Res. 2017, 26, 1129–1144. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  38. Haver, A.; Akerjordet, K.; Caputi, P.; Furunes, T.; Magee, C. Measuring mental well-being: A validation of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale in Norwegian and Swedish. Scand. J. Public Health 2015, 43, 721–727. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Figure 1. Hypothesized mediation model explaining associations between parental mental well-being, parents’ perceived barriers (mediator) and frequency of adult-child nature visits.
Figure 1. Hypothesized mediation model explaining associations between parental mental well-being, parents’ perceived barriers (mediator) and frequency of adult-child nature visits.
Ijerph 18 06814 g001
Figure 2. Perceived barriers to visiting nature as evaluated by parents in answer to the following question: “Do the following reasons prevent you from visiting nature with your child?” The data are presented as percentages of 12 items.
Figure 2. Perceived barriers to visiting nature as evaluated by parents in answer to the following question: “Do the following reasons prevent you from visiting nature with your child?” The data are presented as percentages of 12 items.
Ijerph 18 06814 g002
Figure 3. Parents’ perceived barriers as mediating variables in relationship between parental mental well-being and frequency of adult-child nature visits. Unstandardized regression coefficients (B) with standardized regression coefficients (β) in parentheses. All mediating variables included in the same model. Adjusted for background variables of child age, household type, parental educational attainment, and parents’ perceived economic situation. *** p < 0.001; * p < 0.05.
Figure 3. Parents’ perceived barriers as mediating variables in relationship between parental mental well-being and frequency of adult-child nature visits. Unstandardized regression coefficients (B) with standardized regression coefficients (β) in parentheses. All mediating variables included in the same model. Adjusted for background variables of child age, household type, parental educational attainment, and parents’ perceived economic situation. *** p < 0.001; * p < 0.05.
Ijerph 18 06814 g003
Table 1. Descriptive statistics for demographics of parents and frequency of adult-child nature visits.
Table 1. Descriptive statistics for demographics of parents and frequency of adult-child nature visits.
Variablen%N *
Parental characteristics
Age of parent 1463
<31 years26418%
31–40 years99168%
>40 years20814%
Questionnaire answered by 1463
Mother or stepmother140896%
Father or stepfather443%
Other guardian or adult111%
Household type (child living with one or two parents) 1433
Single-parent15211%
Two-parent128189%
Parental educational attainment 1 1446
Low41028%
Middle63244%
High40428%
Parents’ perceived economic situation 1455
Very poor503%
Fairly poor17312%
Decent66646%
Fairly good45331%
Very good1138%
Frequency of adult-child nature visits 2 1463
Never413%
Once a month1017%
2–3 times a month34023%
Once or twice a week49033%
3–4 times a week30521%
5 times a week or more18613%
Note. * indicates number of responses for each item. 1 low = primary school, vocational school or upper secondary school, middle = bachelor’s degree or institute degree, and high = master’s degree or higher. 2 in the last month.
Table 2. Items and factor loadings for parents’ perceived barriers.
Table 2. Items and factor loadings for parents’ perceived barriers.
ItemFactor 1
(Lack of Competence and Logistics)
Factor 2
(Lack of Time and Interest)
Factor 3
(Insecurity and Fear)
I do not know where to go0.81
I do not know what to do in nature with children0.41
Nature areas are too far away/Transport connections are poor0.79
My family lacks suitable equipment 0.42
Lack of time 0.48
It is too difficult to get out with my child/children 0.59
I am not interested 0.51
My child is not interested 0.69
My spouse/inner circle does not support the activity or is not interested 0.64
I am inexperienced or insecure about being in nature 0.56
I am afraid someone will get hurt in nature 0.74
I am afraid of animals or insects 0.78
Note. Rotated factor scores reported (Varimax rotation).
Table 3. Bivariate correlations among study variables.
Table 3. Bivariate correlations among study variables.
123456789
1 Frequency of adult-child nature visits
2 Parental mental well-being (sum)0.17 ***
Parents’ perceived barriers
3 Lack of competence and logistics−0.34 ***−0.26 ***
4 Lack of time and interest−0.36 ***−0.27 ***0.37 ***
5 Insecurity and fear−0.13 ***−0.15 ***0.33 ***0.18 ***
6 Age (child)−0.10 ***−0.00−0.08 **0.10 ***−0.06 *
7 Gender (child) 10.04−0.03−0.020.02−0.050.04
8 Parental educational attainment−0.06 *0.09 **−0.05 *0.06 *−0.07 **0.030.04
9 Parents’ perceived economic situation0.05 *0.26 ***−0.15 ***−0.10 ***−0.11 ***−0.02−0.000.31 ***
10 Househould type 2−0.08 **−0.06 *0.11 ***0.050.020.07 **0.02−0.06 *−0.18 ***
Note. Spearman’s rank correlation. 1 Child gender (girls = 1, boys = 2). 2 Household type (two-parent household = 1, single-parent household = 2). *** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05.
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Gustafsson, J.; Ojala, A.; Hiltunen, P.; Engberg, E.; Wiklund-Engblom, A.; Törnwall, N.; Roos, E.; Ray, C. Parental Mental Well-Being and Frequency of Adult-Child Nature Visits: The Mediating Roles of Parents’ Perceived Barriers. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 6814. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18136814

AMA Style

Gustafsson J, Ojala A, Hiltunen P, Engberg E, Wiklund-Engblom A, Törnwall N, Roos E, Ray C. Parental Mental Well-Being and Frequency of Adult-Child Nature Visits: The Mediating Roles of Parents’ Perceived Barriers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(13):6814. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18136814

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gustafsson, Jasmine, Ann Ojala, Pauliina Hiltunen, Elina Engberg, Annika Wiklund-Engblom, Nea Törnwall, Eva Roos, and Carola Ray. 2021. "Parental Mental Well-Being and Frequency of Adult-Child Nature Visits: The Mediating Roles of Parents’ Perceived Barriers" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 13: 6814. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18136814

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop