Does a nature walk improve state body appreciation in children?

Abstract

The available evidence suggests that exposure to natural environments promotes more positive body image, but to date this research has not considered impacts on children. To answer this question, we invited two groups of children in Poland – matched in terms of age (range = 6 to 12 years), gender identities, and racialised status – to go for a group walk in either a natural environment (n = 80) or a built environment (n = 81). Before and after the walks, participants were asked to complete an adapted, state version of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 for Children. The results of a mixed analysis of variance indicated that children who went for a walk in the natural environment reported a significant improvement to state body appreciation (d = 0.35), whereas those who went for a walk in the built environment did not (d = 0.04). The results also showed no significant impact of gender identity (girls vs. boys) or age (middle vs. late childhood) on this finding. These results show for the first time that nature exposure may help to improve body image outcomes in children, at least in the immediate term, which may prove beneficial for future interventionist work.