The Relationship between Connectedness to Nature in Childhood and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Children are not only the most vulnerable to the current degradation of the natural environment but are the ones left to restore the natural world. Yet, children are progressively having less direct contact with nature, potentially creating disconnection with the natural world and reduction in commitment to protecting it. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesise the literature on childhood nature connection to better determine its influence on pro-environmental behaviours. Twenty-four studies with a pooled sample of 8,564 children and youth were identified from seven databases. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches were included and quality assessed. The included studies consistently reported a positive relationship between childhood nature connection and pro-environmental behaviour, but incorporated a wide range of assessment methods, as well as covered a broad age and geographical range. Effect sizes were calculated for the relationship between connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviour amongst the sixteen eligible quantitative studies. Using random-effects modelling, connection to nature in childhood was found to have a large effect in influencing pro-environmental behaviour. However, significant heterogeneity suggests limitations in drawing conclusions from the results and reinforces the need for better standardisation of measures. Subgroup analyses show the effect was present across the entire age range, despite being stronger in younger children. Also, the effect appears to be universal, although not all global regions were represented in the meta-analysis. Overall, the findings suggest that the development of pro-environmental behaviour is strongly related to the connection one feels with nature during childhood.