The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread repercussions, affecting all aspects of society, from global economics to everyday social interactions. Due to the significant uncertainty caused by the pandemic, many individuals sought solace from nature. Freshwater environments, or inland blue spaces, are one type of natural environment that may have acted as a vital public health resource for communities during the pandemic. This research used semi-structured interviews combined with narrative analysis to capture detailed insight into the impact of, and nuanced benefits and challenges associated with, accessing inland blue spaces over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants from a range of backgrounds across Scotland were involved to determine the influence of their health and ‘shielding’ status on inland blue space experiences. In the initial stages of the pandemic, those who were taking shielding precautions described experiencing a heightened awareness of, and anxiety towards, other users of inland blue spaces. However, across the sample, individuals emphasised the overall beneficial impact of accessing freshwater areas for maintaining mental and physical wellbeing levels during the pandemic. Positive health outcomes were achieved through participating in a wide range of leisure and recreational opportunities at inland blue spaces. The research further justifies the value of accessing inland blue spaces and demonstrates the benefits of integrating access and exposure to natural environments into future pandemic response strategies. The qualitative insight also highlights the need for context-specific landscape management strategies to promote blue space access across user groups and address existing environmental inequalities.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 大流行期间进入内陆蓝色空间的健康和福祉 （dis） 益处


COVID-19 大流行导致了广泛的影响，影响了社会的方方面面，从全球经济到日常社会互动。由于大流行造成的重大不确定性，许多人从大自然中寻求慰藉。淡水环境或内陆蓝色空间是一种自然环境，在大流行期间可能已成为社区的重要公共卫生资源。本研究使用半结构化访谈结合叙述分析来详细了解在 COVID-19 大流行期间访问内陆蓝色空间的影响以及与进入内陆蓝色空间相关的细微好处和挑战。来自苏格兰各地不同背景的参与者参与其中，以确定他们的健康和“屏蔽”状态对内陆蓝色太空体验的影响。在大流行的初始阶段，那些采取屏蔽预防措施的人描述了对内陆蓝色空间的其他用户的高度认识和焦虑。然而，在整个样本中，个人强调了在大流行期间进入淡水区对维持身心健康水平的整体有益影响。通过在内陆蓝色空间参与广泛的休闲和娱乐机会，取得了积极的健康结果。该研究进一步证明了进入内陆蓝色空间的价值，并展示了将进入和接触自然环境纳入未来大流行应对策略的好处。定性洞察还强调了针对特定环境的景观管理策略的必要性，以促进用户群体的蓝色空间访问并解决现有的环境不平等问题。