Lower Income People Benefit Most From Engaging With The Natural Environment

A new study out of the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna suggests that people on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale can reap the benefits of nature more effectively than those on the higher end of the scale.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, surveyed more than 2,300 Austrians about their mental and physical well-being and found that those on the lower end of the scale reported higher well-being than those on the higher end of the scale, regardless of how often they visited nature or where they lived, Phys.org reports.

"What the results show is that the well-being benefits from visiting nature at least once a week across the whole year are similar to those from an increase in 1,000 Euros of income per year," says lead author Leonie Fian, per a press release.

The study doesn't prove causation, but a previous study found that access to and use of public parks and private gardens are associated with different mental health outcomes across different groups, notes Forbes.

This latest study, however, found a correlation between nature exposure and better sleep, better cognitive performance, better sleep, higher self-esteem, and greater life satisfaction.

"This is especially important for urban dwellers because it means the mental health benefits

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