NCJ Number
200133
Journal
Environment and Behavior Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2003 Pages: 311-330
Date Published
May 2003
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article discusses nature as a buffer of life stress among rural children.
Abstract
A brief review of literature regarding children’s affinity for the natural environment and research exploring the beneficial effects of nature on children are provided. This study hypothesized that there would be an interaction effect and that the adverse impact of stressful life events will be less severe in the presence of nearby nature. Direct effects of both stressful life events and nature on children’s psychological distress and global self-worth were predicted. Data were collected from 337 rural children in grades 3 through 5 to examine whether vegetation near the residential environment might buffer or moderate the impact of stressful life events on children’s psychological well being. Dependent variables include a standard parent-reported measure of children’s psychological distress and children’s own ratings of global self-worth. Results were consistent with the hypothesis. They suggest that the presence of nearby nature moderates or buffered the impact of life stress on children. The psychological effects of stressful life events such as family relocation, being picked on or punished at school, or being subject to peer pressure varied depending on the amount of nearby nature to which the children had access. This moderating effect occurred with both dependent measures--parent-reported psychological distress and children’s own reports of global self-worth. The data also provide support for the hypothesized direct effects of life stress and nature. The direct effects of both nature and life stress were significant for both psychological distress and global self-worth. The implications of this work may be particularly relevant with respect to impoverished children. 2 figures, 3 tables, 1 note, 65 references