70‑year‑olds in focus in new sub‑study on how spending time in nature contributes to health and well‑being

For two days in September, Rosemarie Ankre and student Rasmus Nordmark carried out a field observation with conversations before and after a hike together with five 70-year-olds in the outdoor area Fälleberget, which is located about 5 km outside the center of Härnösand. By visiting an area together, the participants' nature experiences related to physical and mental health were observed and concretized.
– We wanted to find out how our fellow hikers experienced how their well-being was affected by their stay in nature, but also how they viewed the accessibility aspect in the outdoor area," says Rosemarie Ankre and explains:
– The outdoor recreation area itself has a varied hilly landscape with forests, clear-cutting, marshes, wind turbines and stone slabs, so it was also natural to talk about issues related to accessibility and management.

The participants' ability to take on different obstacles such as footbridges and paths with confidence or concern was discussed, but they also talked about how well the participants knew about shooting in the area or the opportunity to orient themselves with the help of various digital aids such as apps.

– We can state that everyday spending time in nature is important, and thus being close to green areas, regardless of whether you live in the city or in the countryside, is very important for the well-being of the elderly. The social aspect of being out in nature and moving around with other people also contributes to this," says Rosemarie Ankre, and explains that from a gender perspective, it has also been possible to see how toilets in the area – or the lack of toilets – contribute to increased or reduced accessibility, mainly for women.

During the spring of 2023, the project will continue to conduct further studies with focus groups in Härnösand municipality (in an urban green area), as well as in Östersund municipality.