Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025
05:33
Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
Published on: June 19, 2019
8.6K
Does nature make us less lonely? Analysis in Bulgaria's five largest cities.
Iana Markevych1, Clemens Baumbach2, Marco Helbich3
1Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment Research Group, Strategic Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Health & Place
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Exposure to urban nature, like green spaces and window views, is linked to reduced loneliness in Bulgarian adults. However, certain vegetation levels and tree density were associated with increased loneliness, highlighting the need for well-designed urban green spaces.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Urban Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Loneliness is a widespread issue linked to adverse health outcomes and mortality.
- Investigating the protective role of nature exposure against loneliness in urban populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between nature exposure and loneliness in adults residing in major Bulgarian cities.
- To determine if sociodemographic factors modify this association.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 3604 adults in five Bulgarian cities in 2023.
- Loneliness assessed via a single Likert scale item; nature exposure measured using GIS data (NDVI, tree cover, green space, blue space) and self-report (garden, quality, view, time spent).
- Adjusted negative binomial regressions and effect modification analyses were employed.
Main Results:
- Increased urban green space, higher green space quality, green space window views, and more time spent in green/blue spaces correlated with lower loneliness.
- Living in areas with low/high Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or high tree cover density was linked to higher loneliness.
- Sociodemographic factors influenced the relationship between nature exposure and loneliness.
Conclusions:
- The study emphasizes the significance of developing and enhancing accessible urban green spaces in Bulgarian cities.
- Strategic urban planning incorporating quality green and blue spaces may mitigate loneliness and improve urban well-being.
Related Concept Videos
02:12Relationship Formation
41.2K
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
41.2K
01:27Horney's Sociocultural Approach
670
Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as...
670
01:25Selected Data About Geographic Locations
69
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) rely on two core types of data: spatial data and attribute data.Spatial DataSpatial data defines the physical location of features within a coordinate system, typically expressed in terms of latitude and longitude. It provides precise positioning for elements like roads, rivers, or buildings.Attribute DataAttribute data complements spatial data by adding descriptive information about these features. For example, a road's spatial data includes its start and...
69
02:04Bullying
8.5K
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.5K
01:37Social Loafing
36.1K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
36.1K
01:22Local Attraction
125
Local attraction refers to disturbances in compass readings caused by magnetic influences from nearby objects such as metal fences, buried pipes, vehicles, buildings, power lines, or natural iron ore deposits. Small items like wristwatches, steel tools, or belt buckles can also interfere with the compass by creating local magnetic fields that distort the Earth's natural magnetic field. These distortions lead to inaccurate readings, posing navigation and land surveying challenges.Local...
125