ORCID

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that residential greenspace is associated with a lower prevalence of health risk behaviours, but it remains unclear whether these effects are generalizable across countries or different types of nature contact. Using representative cross-sectional samples from 18 countries/regions, we examined the associations between two types of nature contact (greenspace, nature visits), current smoking and everyday drinking. After controlling for a range of covariates, greenspace was inversely associated with current smoking and everyday drinking. Visiting natural spaces at least once a week was linked to a lower prevalence of current smoking, but unrelated to everyday drinking. Increasing residential greenspace could be a promising strategy for reducing multiple health risk behaviours, whilst visit-based interventions may be a more appropriate target for smoking cessation.

Publication Date

2025-01-01

Publication Title

Health and Place

Volume

94

ISSN

1353-8292

Acceptance Date

2025-04-29

Deposit Date

2025-05-14

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 666773. Data collection in California was supported by the Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University. Data collection in Canada was supported by the Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. Data collection in Finland was supported by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Data collection in Australia was supported by Griffith University and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Data collection in Portugal was supported by ISCTE—University Institute of Lisbon. Data collection in Ireland was supported by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland. Data collection in Hong Kong was supported by an internal University of Exeter—Chinese University of Hong Kong international collaboration fund. We also acknowledge the support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) who funded the first author’s contribution to this research through the South West Doctoral Training Partnership Placement Scheme, linked to PhD studentship funding awarded to the University of Plymouth.

Keywords

Greenspace, Nature visits, Health risk behaviours, Smoking, Alcohol

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