The Human–Nature Relationship and Its Impact on Health: a critical Review

The Human–Nature Relationship  

and its impact on Health:  

A Critical Review

Valentine Seymour*

Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK

Within the past four decades, research has been increasingly drawn toward under-

standing whether there is a link between the changing human–nature relationship and 

its impact on people’s health. However, to examine whether there is a link requires 

research of its breadth and underlying mechanisms from an interdisciplinary approach. 

This article begins by reviewing the debates concerning the human–nature relationship, 

which are then critiqued and redefined from an interdisciplinary perspective. The con-

cept and chronological history of “health” is then explored, based on the World Health 

Organization’s definition. Combining these concepts, the human–nature relationship and 

its impact on human’s health are then explored through a developing conceptual model. 

It is argued that using an interdisciplinary perspective can facilitate a deeper understand-

ing of the complexities involved for attaining optimal health at the human–environmental 

interface.