Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds face heightened risks of mental illness, emotional dysregulation, and educational challenges (Walsh et al., 2019; Yoshikawa et al., 2012). For adults, evidence suggests that nature contact—through time spent in green spaces, nature connectedness, and perceived quality—can act as a resilience factor, supporting mental health, emotional development, and social inclusion (White et al., 2023; Garrett et al., 2023; Fian et al., 2024). Wells (2021) proposed that nature may similarly buffer the effects of socioeconomic adversity on children's well-being, but the exact mechanisms remain underexplored.


Using data from over 15,000 children and adolescents in the UK's Children's People and Nature Survey (C-PaNS), this study investigates how aspects of nature contact moderate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and well-being in children. Specifically, we examine whether children who have more contact with nature are better protected from the negative effects of low SES and identify key moderators, such as nature connectedness, time spent in nature, indirect nature contact, and a perceived sense of welcome in natural spaces. Unlike most studies that treat SES as a control variable, we focus on its interaction with nature contact to uncover potential buffering and resilience promoting effects.


The study is conducted in two phases: Phase 1 involves exploratory analyses to identify moderators of the SES-well-being relationship using half the dataset (n=7,665), while Phase 2 tests these moderators in confirmatory analyses with the other half (n=7,607). Preliminary findings suggest that nature connectedness, as measured by the Inclusion of Nature in Self scale, significantly mitigates the effects of low SES on well-being.


The C-PaNS design uniquely includes children's self-reports during both school and holiday periods, capturing the realities of their daily lives. By identifying nature-based factors that promote resilience, this study aims to inform equitable, nature-integrated policies to support mental health and well-being in socioeconomically disadvantaged children.