Impact of exposure to films of natural and built environments on body image in older adults

Previous studies have shown that exposure to natural environments is positively associated with healthier body image, including when natural environments are viewed isomorphically. However, studies to date have relied on young and middle-aged adults, and there is no equivalent research examining effects in older adults. To rectify this, a sample of 243 older adults (age M = 73.08) from the United Kingdom were asked to complete a measure of state body image. They were then randomly assigned to watch a film of a first-person walk in a natural environment (n = 122) or a built environment (n = 121), before completing the same measure of state body image as before. The results of a mixed analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant improvement in state body image as a result of viewing the film of the natural environment (d = 0.42), but not the built environment (d = 0.11). These results are consistent with previous research using the same set of films with younger adults, and suggest that the of films could serve as an effective substitute for actual immersion in real nature to promote healthier body image in older age groups.