Abstract
Objective
To describe contact with nature and analyze its relationship with perceived stress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the adult population of a rural region.Design
Cross-sectional observational study.Setting
Primary care, rural region in the province of Guadalajara (Spain).Participants
Adults (aged 18-70), selected by random sampling stratified by sex and age. People with physical, cognitive, or language limitations were excluded.Main measurements
Perceived stress (PSS-14), HRQoL (SF-12v2: physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) components) and contact with nature (access, frequency, and visual exposure). Sociodemographic, clinical and socioeconomic variables were also collected. Descriptive, bivariate (Chi-square, Student's t-test/ANOVA or Mann-Whitney U test/Kruskal-Wallis) and multivariate analysis using multiple linear regression and MANOVA.Results
208 participants were analyzed. The mean PSS score was 20.6 (SD=7.8). Stress was lower in people who were more physically active, had contact with natural environments and visual exposure to nature from home or during commutes. The mean PCS score was 44.8 (SD=9.6) and the MCS score was 51.2 (SD=10.4). Used of open natural environments was independently associated with higher CSF (B=2.10; p=0.004), and the presence of plants in the home with a higher CSM scores (B=3.76; p=0.024).Conclusions
In the rural adult population, contact with nature is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and better HRQoL, supporting its consideration as a health asset in primary care.