Freshspace: Developing Animations to Engage Young Women in Nature

Foreword

The Year of Young People 2018, has brought a greater focus to the wellbeing of young people across Scotland. I strongly welcome that part of this has included a drive to tackle the growing reports of youth mental health issues and health inequalities. Getting active in nature, in whatever way you can, is a fabulous boost for physical and mental wellbeing. However, levels of being active in Scotland’s fantastic outdoors are low in girls during the crucial teenage years.

I am therefore delighted to support this joint project, #GirlsGetOot. This project has engaged directly with young women seeking their solutions in identifying the barriers to participation, and their suggestions to inspire, in a fun, digital-led way, other young women to get out and enjoy through activity in our many greenspaces. Personally, I love being active across many sports, particularly when I can do this while savouring our magnificent outdoors. And I am passionate about encouraging young women to realise the great opportunities open to them in getting active– it really is key to long-term good physical and mental health.

This co-design approach has been a fantastic way to get real conversations going between us, our partners, and groups of teenage girls with the simple but critical aim of improving the health of our nation and really understanding the value of ‘mindfulness’. There’s still so much more we can do, and I am delighted we are continuing to work alongside Young Scot to make a positive difference.

Scotland’s landscapes, green spaces and nature provide young people with a wealth of opportunities and benefits, and Freshspace encourages young women to make the most of this wonderful asset. We know that levels of exercise and activity decrease for women in Scotland during their teenage years and that encouraging engagement with the natural environment is one way inspire higher levels of activity.

Freshspace has been an inspiring project, providing crucial insightsinto the barriersthat young women face in accessing nature for health and wellbeing benefits. The animations have been co-designed with young women to ensure that everything from the messagesto the visuals are relevant and engaging for young women across Scotland. The animations provide an important tool to encourage young women to accessthe multiple health and wellbeing benefitsthat nature hasto offer. Thank you to all of the young women who were involved with Freshspace for their insight, passion and commitment throughout the project.

Introduction

Young Scot has been working with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) as part of Our Natural Health Service to engage young women in the health and wellbeing benefits that nature provides. Our Natural Health Service is an initiative led by SNH that aims to demonstrate and incorporate the benefits of nature in tackling physical inactivity, mental health issues and health inequalities and embed green exercise across the health sector.

We know that the usability and accessibility of our natural environment is key to good physical and mental health. Evidence shows us that a population closer to nature is healthier and that health disparities between high and low income groups are much narrower in areas with ample greenspace (parks, walking routes etc.) We also know that activity levels between pre-teenage boys and girls are the same. However, during the teenage years, physical activity in females falls further than it does with males. It’s important to look at why teenage women are not making the most of outdoors spaces and work with them to find a way that encourages them to benefit from these free assets.

Insight sessions were carried out with young women to explore the barriers they experienced to accessing nature for its health benefits. Young Scot then collaborated with young women to address these barriers and promote Scotland’s natural health service by co-designing and developing short animations for young women aged 14-18.

Young Scot plays a key role in supporting partners to engage with young people across Scotland, helping them to influence the design and delivery of policy and services through a co-design approach. Co-design means young people are involved much earlier in decision making processes through a highly participative approach, developing informed insights, ideas, recommendations and solutions for policy and practice.

Through the co-design process, young people have ownership of what they have to say; relating their views and opinions to deliver ideas and solutions in a spirit of co-design and collaboration.

This approach enabled the young volunteers involved with this project to participate in a variety of ways, and provide input based on their own experiences. Tried and tested activities ensured that the design and development of the animations were relevant and appropriate to young women and effectively address the barriers. Involving young people much earlier in the designing and decision-making process results in animations that more effectively encourage young women to use nature for health and wellbeing benefits.

Four sessions were delivered with 16 volunteers aged 12-19. All volunteers identified as female and had a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The volunteers represented the following deciles on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation:

The first two workshops explored:

• If and how the young women interact with health care providers

• Why the young women access or don’t access green or blue spaces

• What messaging or interventions could be used to encourage young women to make use of the natural environment to benefit their health and wellbeing

The second two workshops focused on co-developing the messages and visuals that would address the barriers identified in the first two workshops. The volunteers worked with SNH and design agency Stand to co-create the animations and identify ways to effectively distribute them.

Key Findings & Insights

The below discussion explores the key insights and findings from the workshops, and demonstrates the development of the animations’ messages and visuals.

To understand young women’s current interactions with health services, the volunteers discussed their experiences and perceptions of health care providers (HCP). In general, there was a clear perception that mental and physical health are addressed in isolation from each other, with physical health being treated as superior. Furthermore, engagement with HCP’s only occurred in reaction to a particular health issue that needed addressing rather than a proactive engagement to improve general wellbeing.

GP surgeries were identified as a HCP that the young women engaged with throughout their teenage and adolescent years. The participants outlined that visits to GPs at a younger age were for specific health reasons and were usually accompanied by a parent or guardian until around the age of 17, when they became more independent in managing their personal health. Older teenagers may also access sexual health clinics as their independence increases.

From the earlier ages of 11 or 12, the volunteers used internet searches or reading their Facebook feeds as a source of information about health and wellbeing. Online searches were also used in their later teenage years, when social media and websites were used to find information on specific health topics such as sexual health.

Engagement with mental health support services was highlighted by some of the participants as a significant interaction with health care providers during their teenage years. Young women may interact with therapists, counsellors, psychologists, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and other support charities. The volunteers highlighted a need for multiple health care providers to ‘be joined together,’ working holistically for the benefit of the individual.

The participants’ experience of health education in school was that it was limited to focusing on drug and alcohol use and lacked varied information. Although the young women received Personal and Social Education (PSE/PSHE) in school, they were aware that the quality of this varied between schools and that, for example, some religious schools may not provide sex education. Between the ages of 13 and 15, school nurses and guidance teachers were a source of information – either through arranged talks or accessed individually.

To understand young women’s current engagement with nature, the volunteers explored their personal experiences and reasons for using green or blue spaces. Whilst many were positive about engaging with nature, there were also extensive discussions about the barriers and reasons that they and other young women may not access outdoor spaces.

The participants acknowledged that outdoor spaces were good for fitness and exercise which ‘releases endorphins’. Activities like walking or playing tennis at a local park were discussed as examples of activities that help you ‘keep fit and improve sleep’

Enjoying nice scenery was also a significant reason to access outdoor spaces. From parks being well maintained, canals having no traffic, to nice views at the top of local hills, the participants appreciated the scenic elements of different outdoor spaces.

The mental health benefits of using the natural environment were acknowledged by the young women. Physical exercise such as running, and less active activities such as reading outdoors, would help the young women ‘take a breather’ or ‘clear their minds’. Particular settings such as a canal or garden were recognised as ‘peaceful’ and ‘relaxing’ places which were good for stress relief.

There was some recognition within the discussions that using outdoor spaces was an environmentally friendly option. Using ‘walkways to get from A to B’ when doing shopping for the house or picking up a sibling from school was recognised by participants as ‘better for the environment than using fossil fuels’. Gardening was also discussed as positive because it ‘helps bees’.

The young women highlighted the social element of spending time in the natural environment. Swimming, trips to the beach and playing sports were opportunities to ‘have a laugh’, ‘make new friends’ and ‘socialise’. This extended beyond face to face socialising - outdoor spaces were great places to ‘take the perfect Instagram shot’ which would then be viewed and shared through online networks on social media.

The young volunteers also acknowledged that green infrastructure can provide cheaper options. Using cycle paths was cheaper than using a car or bus, and doing exercise in a garden or park was cheaper than paying for a gym membership.

Despite these positive reasons and motivations for using green and blue spaces, the participants also identified various barriers and reasons why young women may not make full use of these spaces.

One of the main themes emerging in the discussions was the young women’s experience of a gender divide in playing sports and using the outdoors. From the age of ten or 11, the young women recalled specific expectations of girls (to study, to keep clean and tidy, to stay indoors) and of boys (playing outside, getting muddy/dirty, needing to run around and let off steam). This was further perpetuated by gendered sports and where these were played; boys played rugby or football outside and girls played netball inside. From secondary school onwards, the young women stopped playing sports with boys or using the outdoors regularly and this continued throughout their teenage years. They also acknowledged the role of parents or guardians in perpetuating or challenging these norms.

Safety was often brought up as a concern when using green and blue spaces. Things such as unreliable mobile phone signal, short daylight hours combined with a lack of outdoor lighting, and being out as a lone woman were all bought up as specific concerns the young women experienced. Some also acknowledged that they were constrained because of parents’ or guardians’ perceptions of the outdoors as unsafe.

Mental health could also be a barrier to accessing green spaces. From a lack of motivation or ‘not wanting to get up and go’ to depression, anxiety, stress or a specific illness, the young volunteers acknowledged that mental health could make it challenging for someone to access outdoor spaces.

Further social norms discouraged the young women from using outdoor spaces. For example, many experienced a perception during their early teenage years that it was ‘uncool’ to do sports or to be enthusiastic about the outdoors. There was also a particular perception of ‘outdoorsy types’ who engage with the outdoors and some young people may want to avoid being labelled as such. A lack of female role models in outdoor settings was also identified as a reason young women may not be encouraged to use green or blue spaces. Further reflecting these norms, the young women acknowledged a general perception that doing things outside is ‘boring’ and they were less likely to use outdoor spaces if their friends ‘didn’t want to go out’.

The young women identified a further barrier which related to body image, personal care and hygiene. Periods pains and lack of access to toilet facilities during their periods were reasons why young women may avoid being active. Lack of access to showers and inadequate time to get changed, particularly after PE lessons at school, were also reasons why young women were discouraged from actively using outdoor spaces. Young women may also need to change into a sports bra before participating in most outdoor activities. Not wanting to be sweaty was identified as a personal reason for wanting showers, and this also reflects the societal expectations for young women to be ‘clean’ as discussed above. Issues around body image and confidence, such as feeling a pressure to shave body hair, to wear make-up, or being too self-conscious or insecure to exercise in front of others were also pressures discouraging young women.

The young women perceived a variety of practical barriers that may inhibit them from making use of outdoor spaces. These included;

• Lack of time due to busy schedules and a pressure to study

• The (perceived) cost of participating in activities or joining groups that use the outdoor spaces

• Access to relevant equipment and clothing (for example sports bras, trainers, waterproof jackets)

• Availability of sports or activities that the young women were interested in

• The weather (either too cold, wet or windy or too hot)

• Transport and distance to green spaces

• Lack of facilities or information for someone with an illness or disability

Interestingly, some of these practical barriers only apply to organised events, activities or sports. There was slightly more focus during the first two workshops on organised activities and sports, and less recognition of green and blue space as somewhere free and readily available for everyone to enjoy doing a variety of activities independently too.

In one of the workshops, the young women coined the term ‘nature disrupters’ to describe things which discouraged them from accessing outdoor spaces. This was primarily things like fly-tipping, ‘having litter everywhere,’ ‘unclean beaches’ or ‘dirty parks’.

In summary, the key barriers identified in the exploration workshops were;

• Wanting to avoid dirt/getting muddy

• Conforming to social norms: girls aren’t ‘supposed’ to be outside

• The perception that it’s not cool to like nature

• Concerns about personal hygiene & body image (getting sweaty, having your period, not having access to toilets, not having shaved your legs)

• Safety concerns (darkness, being somewhere different, being alone)

• Being too busy or too stressed

• Perceptions about the cost/expenses involved

• Not knowing enough information about how access or engage with nature (perception that you need to join a club or be an expert)

• Bad weather

• The perception that you need to be fit and sporty, or playing sports, to benefit from being outdoors

• Low moods/anxiety/mental health concerns preventing someone from visiting the outdoors

• Worries about other people judging you

The messages and visual aspects of the animations were developed with these barriers in mind.

Messaging

The participants discussed what types of messages would address the identified barriers, and what tone and language would be most engaging for other young women. Some key points that the participants raised were:

• Keep the messages short and concise

• Avoid language that comes across as trying to be cool / young people’s language e.g. ‘feeling a bit blah’, ‘chilling out’

• Use language that is more relevant for young people e.g. ‘stressful’ rather than ‘hectic’, ‘have a chat’ rather than ‘blether’

• Avoid patronising tone e.g. ‘Did you know…’

• Make them more personal and direct – talking about you rather than general young women

• Avoid acknowledging negative perceptions and instead promote positives, e.g. state ‘it is exciting to…’ rather than ‘it doesn’t have to be boring’

• Refer to the appropriate social media channels (e.g. snapchat)

Here are some examples of how the young women developed the messages that were used in the animations.

The first draft of this message was aimed at promoting the fun and social aspects of using outdoor spaces.

The volunteers suggested that the message be shortened to make it easier to read. They also thought that focusing on one everyday activity that could be done easily with friends– going for a walk – would make it more direct, accessible and appealing to young women.

“Being outdoors doesn’t have to be boring - heading out on a walk or a cycle with your friends is fun AND good for your health!”

Poor Example

“Going for a walk is fun and good for your health!”

Good Example

The first draft of the message in scene nine aimed to highlight the mental and physical health benefits of engaging with outdoor spaces.

The participants wanted to change the tone of this message as they felt the phrase ‘Did you know…’ was patronising. They also felt that the core message of ‘visiting the outdoors’ was strong and suggested young women don’t need to be doing sports or be part of a club to benefit from nature.

“Did you know that visiting the outdoors can improve your mental health as well as your physical health? It’s good for the mind and the body!”

By addressing these concerns and condensing the message into one sentence, they developed the final message:

“Visiting the outdoors can improve both your mental and physical health”

Based on the insights, feedback and process of co-design, the final messages addressing key barriers in the animations were:

Scene 1 - Going for a walk is fun and good for your health!

Scene 2 - You don’t need to play sports to be healthy…walking the dog is great exercise!

Scene 3 - Be inspired in your local green spaces and take some great snaps at the same time!

Scene 4 - Having a bad day? Getting outside can make you feel that wee bit better!

Scene 5 - Rushed off your feet? Getting outside can help you feel a bit more relaxed.

Scene 6 - Being outside can be a breath of fresh air whatever the weather.

Scene 7 - Planning on relaxing and listening to music? Why not get out of the house and head to the park to do it?

Scene 8 - No time to exercise? Even the walk to the bus counts towards your recommended target of 60 minutes of exercise a day.

Scene 9 - Visiting the outdoors can improve both your mental and physical health.

Scene 10 - Ask your pals to join you when you head outside. Discover what’s on your doorstep together.

Visuals

The participants provided valuable insight into what style, tone and feel would be appropriate for the visual element of the animations. Their insights and feedback fell into three broad categories – the character icons (how young women are represented), the activity taking place in the scene, and the look and feel of the scene and scenery.

Avoid female stereotypes: the participants felt it was important not to use stereotypical representations of young women such as lots of pink clothing and every icon having long hair. They also suggested that further stereotypes be avoided - for example an icon that is being more active in an animation shouldn’t necessarily be portrayed as ‘athletic’ wearing sporty clothes and having shorter hair.

Include clothing that young women can relate to: in order to avoid perpetuating messages that young women must look perfect all the time, the participants suggested more casual and comfortable clothes that they felt girls would realistically be wearing such as jeans, hoodies, boots and school uniforms.

Represent a diversity of ethnicities: the participants felt it was important that young women from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities could identify with the icons used in the animations. Although diversity is represented across the ten animations, the participants suggested including all the icons in the final slide of every animation to show this diversity when a single animation is viewed in isolation.

Represent a diversity of body shapes and sizes: a significant topic throughout the development of the animations was avoiding representations of bodies that were unrealistic or unrelatable for young women. The icons were developed from having skinny athletic legs with visible thigh gaps to having more realistic proportions and varied body sizes. This demonstrated that anyone can benefit from being outdoors in Scotland.

Families (young mothers and/or young people with their parents/siblings): portraying young parents and different family dynamics in a positive way was important for the participants.

Depict young men and women together: many participants pointed out that showing only female icons in the animations would not reflect the reality of many young women in Scotland who spend time with friends of other genders.

Casual and comfortable body postures: the participants felt that the icons looked too rigid and formal so they were developed to have more casual postures, to look more relaxed and comfortable, for example leaning back on a sofa with their feet up.

Avoid scenes that depict very athletic people doing sports: the participants did not want the majority of the animations to involve sports and demanding exercise to address the misconception that you need to be athletic and participate in sports to benefit from being outdoors.

Parks and gardens: participants identified parks and gardens as realistic settings in which young people may engage with nature on a regular basis.

Walking to the bus: the participants suggested a scene involving someone walking to get the bus as part of their daily exercise would demonstrate the small behaviour changes that young women could make on a daily basis, as seen in scene nine.

A variety of activities: the participants acknowledged that not every activity would appeal to every young woman and therefore highlighted the importance of having multiple activities depicted across the animations and within each animation where possible. They also highlighted the importance of including creative ways of engaging with nature such as sketching or photography.

Being with friends and having fun: the social aspect of being outdoors was evidently very important to young women and therefore the participants wanted to emphasise this visually across the animations, depicting young women together with friends and in groups.

Scottish scenery: the participants felt it was important that the scenery was recognisably Scottish, but not exclusively rural or the stereotypical romanticised images of Scotland’s vast landscapes. Arthur’s Seat and the surrounding housing area Dumbiedykes were given as a positive example. In some scenes the plants and foliage were changed from tropical, palm tree styles to more native looking trees and shrubs.

Plenty of people: to address the barrier that enjoying nature was not cool, the participants felt it was important to suggest that outdoor spaces are used by many people and it is an everyday thing to do.

Include a variety of wildlife: animals and wildlife were appealing to participants and they felt this was an important aspect to highlight to other young women. For example, the participants suggested adding butterflies and more birds to scenes.

Variety of seasons and weather depicted: showing people engaging with the outdoors in rain, snow, autumn and winter as well as sunshine and summer would help to address the barrier of bad weather preventing people from getting outside.

Include urban scenes: the participants acknowledged that many young people will be living in urban areas may not know how to access local nature. By making the scenes relevant to young people in urban areas, the participants hoped to demonstrate that nature can be easily found and accessed in these settings.

Realistic homes: When depicting young women in their own homes or bedrooms, the participants felt they should be realistic representations. For example, having a laptop or mobile on a table and clothes on the bedroom floor made the scene more relatable to other young women

Distribution

The young women discussed how SNH and Young Scot could target the promotion of the animations to teenage women.

The participants identified the following role models as potential ambassadors to promote the animations:

• Karen Gillan

• Annie Lennox

• Nina Nesbitt

• Emeli Sande

• Lindsey Sharp

• Amy MacDonald

• Well known vloggers (like Dan & Phil, Ameliadce) – someone who has an interest in mental health

The participants identified a range of channels and platforms for distributing the animations which they felt would be appropriate for young women:

• Facebook (for older teenagers)

• YouTube (on an established channel, as a localised advert) Snapchat

• Instagram (very visual)

• In schools and colleges – on screens or in assemblies/PSE classes

• Posters with stills from the animations with the messages

• Use a hashtag - for example #GirlsGetOot – something Scottish, a play on words

Based on the insights and ideas explored in the workshops, the participants came up with some wider interventions.

• Champion equality in sports and outdoor activities and challenge sexism in the use of outdoor spaces

  • Provide more mixed gender and female only sports groups or activities

  • Increase the visibility of female role models in sports and outdoor activities

• Challenge the stigma that outdoor spaces are unsafe and improve how safe young women feels in the spaces

  • provide better lit paths

  • provide information to young women on tips for keeping safe such as walking home apps, walking buses, rape alarms, reflective patches and self-defence classes

  • provide information and awareness raising for parents and guardians that the outdoors is not necessarily as unsafe or risky as they perceive

• Remove stigma around periods by making it more open and easier for young women to discuss and address it as a barrier to accessing green or blue spaces

  • Encourage open conversations around periods and make it more acceptable to talk about them

  • Provide alternatives to sitting out during PE lessons when young women are on their periods

  • Provide heat packs, other resources and information for young women to deal with their periods positively

The animations can be accessed at: young.scot/freshspace