The Public Health Agency of Sweden reports that outdoor life is linked to better physical and mental health. Women spend more time outdoors than men, and older people spend more time in nature than younger people.
Socioeconomic factors affect how much time people spend outdoors, according to the agency. People with high income or education are more often outdoors than those with low income and education, according to Folkhälsomyndigheten. Those who live in metropolitan regions are less in nature than those who live in less populated areas, the agency's data indicates. Adults born in Sweden or other Nordic countries spend more time in nature compared to those born in Europe, Folkhälsomyndigheten reports.
Three hours outdoors every day is enough for me.
Those who spend little time outdoors may be more exposed to mental stress, according to the agency's findings. According to Sveriges Radio Nyheter, Annelie Pålsson described spending three hours outdoors daily as sufficient for her. The specific barriers preventing people from spending more time outdoors remain unclear, and the exact definitions of 'outdoors' and 'nature' used in the report have not been detailed.