Nature relatedness, connections to food and wellbeing in Australian adolescents

Kora Uhlmann; Helen Ross; Lisa Buckley; Brenda B. Lin

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101888

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Nature relatedness, connections to food and wellbeing in Australian adolescents

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Nature relatedness, connections to food and wellbeing in Australian adolescents

Kora Uhlmann, Helen Ross, Lisa Buckley and Brenda B. Lin

Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol.84, pp.1-9

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101888

Abstract

Adolescent health

Biophilia

Food environment

Implicit association test

Interdisciplinary

Adolescence is a critical developmental phase during which beneficial nature and food connections can be shaped. Currently nature relatedness research does not typically consider food as an integral component of nature. This exploratory study seeks to understand Australian adolescents’ connections to nature and their food, and how these relate to their overall sense of wellbeing. A mixed methods approach combined an implicit association test with urban and rural adolescents, and a survey to measure nature relatedness, wellbeing, healthy food attitudes and behaviours. Most adolescents considered that food connected them with nature; however urban students were less likely than rural students to state specifically that food comes from nature. Meanwhile, family cohesion significantly predicts adolescent wellbeing and positive healthy eating attitudes. These findings suggest implications for effective strategies that foster sustainable healthy behaviours and opportunities for interaction with nature. Further, food and food production should be incorporated into future nature relatedness research, as well as nature relatedness considered in adolescent nutritional health research.

Details

Title: Nature relatedness, connections to food and wellbeing in Australian adolescents
Authors: Kora Uhlmann (Corresponding Author) - University of Queensland
Helen Ross - University of Queensland
Lisa Buckley - University of Queensland
Brenda B. Lin - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Publication details: Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol.84, pp.1-9
Publisher: Academic Press
Date published: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101888
ISSN: 1522-9610
Copyright note: This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, a Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Postgraduate Top-Up Scholarship, and the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (University of Queensland).
Organisation Unit: Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991043790502621
Output Type: Journal article