Association between objective and subjective relatedness to nature and human well-being: Key factors for residents and possible measures for inequality in Japan’s megacities

Abstract

Enhancing human well-being based on relatedness to nature requires a clear understanding of the associations between nature relatedness and well-being, particularly in urban contexts. The socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of neighborhoods are associated with residents’ perceptions of and access to nature. However, research addressing the interplay between area-level deprivation, objective and subjective nature relatedness, and well-being remains limited. To address this, we surveyed 3500 residents in Japan’s Tokyo-Yokohama and Osaka-Kobe metropolitan areas, categorizing respondents by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and urbanicity. Frequent nature visits in highly urbanized areas were positively associated with various well-being indicators. In high-ADI areas, nature visits correlated with better self-rated health, and the proportion of non-built-up areas was linked to improved well-being measures. Childhood experiences with nature significantly predicted adult well-being and that were associated with improved self-rated health and low psychological distress, as measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Objective factors such as access to natural spaces, and subjective factors such as perceived relatedness to nature, were deemed critical for well-being. The results suggest that equitable access to nature and early-life exposure to nature are essential for public health, particularly in deprived areas. Addressing disparities in nature access can contribute to reducing inequalities in well-being, underscoring the need for policies promoting nature relatedness to support well-being in urban communities.