Table 2 Questions, codes, and representative quotes based on participant responses
From: Exploring the beliefs and perceptions of spending time in nature among U.S. youth
Question, Code | n (%)a | Representative quote |
|---|---|---|
What do you think of when you hear the word “nature?” (n = 973) | ||
Trees/woods | 439 (45.1) | “Tree, forest, flower... anything not man-made” “I think of being deep in the woods near all of wildlife” |
Outdoors | 345 (35.5) | “Spending time outside with family” “I think of riding my bike and being outside in general” |
Green-space/gardens | 211 (21.7) | “I think of green spaces with lots of plants” “Green scenery, flowers, animals, fresh air” |
Animals/bugs | 168 (17.3) | “Animals and the world” “Just being outside with the plants and animals and bugs.” |
Peaceful/beauty | 152 (15.6) | “I think of peace and serenity whenever I hear the word nature” “Calmness, being surrounded by something beautiful” |
Environment | 145 (14.9) | “I think of the earth!” “Nature is something that is from our environment that is not man-made” |
How does being in nature affect how you feel physically? How does being in nature affect how you feel emotionally/mentally? (n = 885) | ||
At peace/calm | 457 (51.6) | “I always feel calm when I am out in nature” “It helps me feel more balanced and connected, and more at peace with the world around me” |
Generally better | 276 (31.2) | “It makes me feel generally better, I have more energy and I feel like I can breathe easier” “I feel physically, emotionally, and mentally better after being in nature” |
Happier | 268 (30.3) | “Happier and more mindful of my emotions” “Nature greatly improve my emotions and mentality as it makes me happy” |
Refreshed/restored | 261 (29.5) | “It makes me feel refreshed. Being in nature is sort of a reset” “I feel mentally restored and energized!” |
Relieves or reduces stress and/or anxiety | 196 (22.1) | “Relieves a lot of stress and relaxes me” Nature helps me mentally. Gets rid of stress. |
Healthy/fit | 151 (17.1) | “It makes me feel more active and in shape” “It helps me feel like I am in better shape, healthier, and more connected” |
Negative | 62 (7.0) | “It makes me feel isolated” “I may feel anxious and may become more quiet or on edge” |
No Effect | 63 (7.1) | “Nature doesn’t have much of an effect on me, I can be relaxed in nature or stressed in nature” “I never really paid attention to how it affects me in this way” |
Thinking about how much time you spend in nature now, do you wish you could spend more or less time in nature? Why? (n = 852) | ||
More time | 748 (87.8) | |
Experience barriers to time in nature | 177 (20.8) | “I wish I could spend more time in nature to fully take advantage of it and enjoy it instead of being inside stuck at a computer doing online school for 8h hours a day” “I wish I could spend more time in nature. I live in the city so it can be hard to get out to go into the woods and hike” |
Supports mental health | 149 (19.9) | “Yes, I wish I could spend more time in nature so I could just relax and clear out my mind from these rough current times” “More time because it helps my mental health positively” |
Feels good | 110 (14.7) | “I wish I could spend more time in nature because it makes me feel good” “More because it is healthy and makes me feel good” |
It is beautiful/ peaceful | 90 (12.0) | “I wish I spent more time in nature, especially around sunset/sunrise because it is so beautiful” “More because I love how beautiful and relaxing it is” |
Same amount of time | 71 (8.3) | |
Already spend enough | 7 (9.9) | “Not really. I think I’m at a good spot right now because I don’t spend too much time but I also don’t spend too little time” |
Less time | 29 (3.4) | |
Not into nature | 15 (51.7) | “Less time. As little time as possible. I’d rather explore parking lots or alleyways” “Less time because I’m not that involved with it and I could be doing better things” |