The Value of Nature Exposure in the 21st Century

Humanity is undergoing a monumental shift. People have rapidly moved from a largely natural, outdoor existence to life in built, urban settings. Most places where people live and work differ dramatically from the ones we occupied for 99.9% of human history, and our current surroundings often physically separate us from the natural world. Most people—over half globally and approximately 4 in 5 in the United States—now live in urban areas where nearby nature exposure tends to be limited and unequally distributed across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic subgroups. Adults in higher-income countries spend 80%-90% of their lives sedentary and indoors, with 6 to 8 hours or more spent each day looking at screens. The same is increasingly true for our developing youth, who may experience poorer health across their life span as a result.

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Read more at the

American Journal of Health Promotion

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