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Editorial note: This article reports findings from a single observational
study. The results have not been independently replicated. No causal claims are made.
In one study — a large observational analysis of 19,806 nationally
representative UK adults — spending at least 120 minutes per week in natural environments
was associated with higher odds of self-reported good health. This finding has not been
independently replicated.
White et al. (2019) observed 19,806 nationally representative UK adults and measured time
spent in natural environments alongside self-reported health and wellbeing. Participants who
spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature — across any combination of visits — had an
odds ratio (OR) of 1.59 for reporting good health or wellbeing, compared with those who had
no nature contact in the reference week.
The study is observational in design. It cannot determine the direction of the association:
whether healthier people are more likely to seek out natural environments, whether nature
contact itself is associated with better health, or some combination of both. No experimental
assignment or intervention took place. The association is derived from a cross-sectional
analysis; causal inference is not possible from this design alone.
This finding comes from a single paper. It has not been confirmed by independent research
teams using different populations or methods. Applying these results to prescribed
nature-exposure interventions would go beyond what the evidence supports.
White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Wheeler, B. W., Hartig, T., Warber, S. L.,
Bone, A., Depledge, M. H., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a
week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports,
9(1), 7730.
odds ratio (OR) of 1.59 for reporting good health or wellbeing, compared with those who had
no nature contact in the reference week.
The study is observational in design. It cannot determine the direction of the association:
whether healthier people are more likely to seek out natural environments, whether nature
contact itself is associated with better health, or some combination of both. No experimental
assignment or intervention took place. The association is derived from a cross-sectional
analysis; causal inference is not possible from this design alone.
This finding comes from a single paper. It has not been confirmed by independent research
teams using different populations or methods. Applying these results to prescribed
nature-exposure interventions would go beyond what the evidence supports.
White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Wheeler, B. W., Hartig, T., Warber, S. L.,
Bone, A., Depledge, M. H., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a
week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports,
9(1), 7730.
No verified citations available.
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What a Single Observational UK Study Found About 120 Minutes in Nature Each Week
A single observational study of UK adults found spending at least 120 minutes weekly in nature was associated with better self-reported health — one study, not independently replicated.