Diet and Environment (Adult Population)

The state of connecting to nature, or nature relatedness (NR), was found to favorably impact physical and psychological health. However, there are no studies that explore potential links between NR and dietary patterns. This compelled Milliron et al. (2022) to investigate the association between NR and dietary patterns (including diet diversity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) in a sample of 317 adults above the age of 18. A 21-item NR scale was used to evaluate connection to nature, while the FAO’s standardized tool helped appraise how diverse participant dietary intake is. A two item Fruit and Vegetable Screener helped assess daily fruit and vegetable consumption (in cups/day), and responses to socio-demographic queries were documented. The study demonstrated that people with higher NR scores were more likely to recount consuming more diverse diets, including greater consumption of fruits and vegetables. This finding was consistent even after adjusting for socio-demographic indices (such as gender, race, and income). The authors believe these findings shed importance on the need for promoting interventions that strengthen NR, such as resources for nature prescription, metropolitan gardening, and engagement in urban green areas.