Interacting with nature may promote mental and physical health. There are multiple ways to interact with nature: indirectly, incidentally, and intentionally. How these types of interactions with nature may be associated with mental and physical health status and health behaviors is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to (1) describe the relationship between interactions with nature (indirect, incidental, and intentional) and mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors, (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) provide recommendations for future research. Considerable evidence suggests that interacting with nature, indirectly and intentionally, is associated with improvements in mental health and physical exhibitions of mental status. Furthermore, intentionally interacting with nature is associated with engagement in physical activity and gardening is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Research suggests that incidentally interacting with nature may be associated with positive mental health status. More research is needed to understand the relationships between incidental interactions with nature and physical health status and behaviors; as well as among all types of interactions with nature and physical health disorders, sleep, and dietary behaviors.

Interacting with nature, such as spending time in nature and having houseplants, has been associated with positive mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors but limited research has explored dietary behaviors. Therefore, this study examined the relationships among interactions with nature, diet quality, and sustainable dietary patterns. In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, participants self-reported the frequency and duration of their interactions with nature and completed Diet History Questionnaire II, where Healthy Eating Index-2020 (diet quality) and EAT-Lancet Index (sustainable dietary pattern) scores were calculated. A purposive sample of participants completed an interview. Multiple regression models were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The data were integrated by connecting and merging. Three hundred adults completed the survey and 30 were interviewed. Positive significant relationships among interactions with nature, diet quality (p < .001), and sustainable dietary patterns (p < .001) were found. Four themes highlighted how interacting with nature may affect dietary intake: engaging with the natural world relaxes the mind, paving the way for healthier eating habits; pursuing health draws us toward nature and positively influences dietary choices; a deep connection to nature sparks a desire to nourish the body with more fruits and vegetables; and thoughtfully participating in the food system promotes healthier choices for personal and planetary health. Integrated findings highlight that mental state moderates and connection to nature mediates the relationships of interest. These results may be used to promote dietary behaviors for personal and planetary health through nature-based interventions.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a household food-waste prevention and minimization intervention, titled the Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM), which consists of a culinary education video series for home cooks. The specific aims are to (1) assess the effects of the intervention at a population level across process (feasibility, usage, acceptability, satisfaction) and preliminary efficacy (motivation, opportunity, ability) metrics and (2) assess the effects of the intervention at a community level across process (feasibility, usage, acceptability, satisfaction) and preliminary efficacy (motivation, opportunity, ability, household food waste, sustainable dietary practices) metrics. The intervention includes eight modules, each containing three to five brief videos, as well as downloadable recipes and worksheets. The evaluation will explore the effects of the program through two distinct investigations, namely (1) voluntary access to the intervention content in a population-based setting and (2) intensive delivery of the intervention content as part of a remote class in a community setting. Evaluation of the intervention in the population-based setting will use a single-arm, quasi-experimental post-test only study design. All home cooks who access the videos will be invited to answer a five-question post-video survey about acceptability, satisfaction, and potential implementation of the learning. A separate sample of individuals will be recruited to participate in a more in-depth evaluation (pre- and multiple post-test survey). Evaluation of the community-based intervention will use a mixed methods study design. Findings from the two distinct evaluation studies will be jointly discussed and triangulated to support larger conclusions about the intervention’s desirability, impact on motivation, opportunity, ability, and food waste, and the potential directions for further improvement.

This research aimed to adapt and evaluate a food-waste prevention and minimization program that comprises a culinary education video series for home cooks. This research: 1) culturally adapted the Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM) intervention to highlight Caribbean and Latin American (C/LA) cooking techniques and cuisine; 2) assessed if there was a greater increase in acceptability and usage of culinary food waste minimization and reduction strategies among C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the CHEF-WPM-C/LA culinary intervention compared to C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the comparison CHEF-WPM; 3) assessed if there was a greater increase in motivation, opportunity, and ability (MOA) to use culinary food waste minimization and reduction strategies among C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the CHEF-WPM-C/LA culinary intervention compared to C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the comparison CHEF-WPM. The goal of the program was to increase consumers' motivation, perceived opportunity, and the ability to reduce food waste using home-based culinary techniques. The evaluation employed a multiple-method study, including quantitative analysis through a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design, a quasi-experimental randomized parallel-group design, with pre-, 3-month, and 6-month assessments, 194 participants were randomized to the comparison (n = 106) or adapted (n = 88) intervention, with a complete-case subsample (n = 88) retained across all three time points for the primary repeated-measures analyses and qualitative thematic analysis. Both perceived household food waste and self-reported food waste reduction effort improved over time across the full sample (ps [less than or equal to] .001). Food waste reduction effort also showed a significant Time x Intervention x C/LA interaction (p = .028): C/LA Participants who received the adapted intervention reported the largest short-term (3-month) increase in effort of any subgroup, but participants' scores returned toward baseline by 6 months, while C/LA participants in the comparison intervention maintained their gains. Direct comparisons of acceptability and usage outcomes among C/LA participants were not statistically significant.