Journal of Coastal Zone Management

Abstract

Effects of the Coastal Environment on Well-being

Chenchen Peng, Kazuo Yamashita and Eiichi Kobayashi

In this study, we evaluated whether coastal zones influence well-being and we examined differences based on gender and age. We selected a residential housing area in Hyogo Prefecture as the survey site, and administered questionnaires to 518 respondents from two groups: those with ocean views from their homes, and those without. The findings showed that: (1) Compared to residents who lived inland, those who lived by the seaside showed higher positive psychological effects and had lower negative psychological effects. (2) Coastal environments exerted significant influence on both males and females; however, the positive effects were stronger for females than males. At the same time, the negative impacts were weaker for females than males. (3) The younger, middle-aged, and elderly groups living on the coast experienced more positive effects than those living in non-coastal areas. The positive consequences of exposure to the ocean were strongest for the elderly group. These results suggest that coastal zones positively affect individual well-being.