The mediating effect of positive body image on the relationship between nature exposure and mental health

• Main Author: Samonte, Maria Isabel A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Mental health; Body image; Nature; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/77; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_psych/article/1064/viewcontent/2024_Samonte_The_Mediating_Effect_of_Positive_Body_Image_on_the_Relationship_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Past studies have shown that nature exposure is associated with mental health, but the mechanistic pathways are not fully understood. This study examined a possible pathway, positive body image as a mediator of the effects of nature exposure on mental health among 432 participants ages 18-26 years old in the Philippines. The model was tested using adequate fitting indices like the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker Lewis Index (TLI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). Results from the structural equation modeling indicated that the direct association between nature exposure and mental health is not statistically significant but showed a significant indirect association between nature exposure and positive body image, as well as positive body image and mental health. Thus, positive body image fully mediates the relationship between nature exposure and mental health. The findings suggest that nature exposure may influence mental health by promoting positive body image. These findings were discussed in terms of implications on young adults’ mental health and interventions.