Ecosystem Services and Preventive Medicine

Modern public health challenges require interdisciplinary solutions that integrate knowledge of human behavior and its complex relationship with the physical environment. Historically, this discourse was dominated by studies of hazards and other negative health consequences associated with human–environment interactions. However, growing evidence suggests that contact with green spaces (e.g., parks, forests, gardens) can be beneficial to physical and mental health. Despite these findings, integration of the natural environment into preventive medicine policy and practice has been slow. This is partly due to limited recognition of the multifaceted health benefits associated with green spaces and the challenge of characterizing and evaluating these benefits. Minimal dialogue across disciplines, especially between environmental and health professionals, has exacerbated the divide, further hindering nature-based health promotion. Many environmental and social scientists have embraced the concept of “ecosystem services” as a framework for understanding, evaluating, and communicating the contributions of ecosystems to human well-being. Ecosystem services describe nature’s direct and indirect benefits to humans, including life-supporting ecological processes and provision of outdoor spaces that encourage active lifestyles, which support the prevention of diseases and other maladies. As these services have major implications for human health and well-being, the integration of ecosystem services and preventive medicine may be an important strategy for advancing health research, education, and practice. Research from multiple fields of study suggests that contact with nature can be beneficial to public health and well-being. Though a recent literature review showed mixed observations with regard to green space and