The More the Better? The Role of Artificial Light at Night in Perceived Safety and Well-Being During Nocturnal Blue Space Visits in 18 Countries

The More the Better? The Role of Artificial Light at Night in Perceived Safety and Well-Being During Nocturnal Blue Space Visits in 18 Countries Abstract: Natural environments such as Blue Spaces can contribute to people’s well-being, especially if they’re perceived as safe. However, research has rarely considered how artificial light at night (ALAN) at a given location influences the experience of visiting this space at night. This pre-registered study examines the effect ALAN has on well-being and anxiety during nocturnal visits to Blue Spaces and a potential mediation-effect of perceived safety. Using secondary data from the BlueHealth International survey, which surveyed the experience of over 14,998 visits to water-related spaces across 18 countries, I determined which visits took place during nighttime based on the reported time and place. The analytical sample (n = 1462) was matched with ALAN-data from the World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness based on the coordinates of the visit location. Using linear mixed effect-modelling, I analyse the effect of ALAN on perceived safety, well-being, and anxiety during the visit, controlling for relevant socio-economic and visit related covariates. Preliminary results indicate a non-linear relationship between ALAN and all relevant outcomes. Safety is a strong predictor for both well-being and anxiety during Blue-Space visits at night. However, there’s no significant relationship between ALAN and perceived safety, well-being, or anxiety. These results indicate that increasing ALAN is not a simple solution to improve safety and well-being at night in the context of natural environments. Cautious use of ALAN might be in order to avoid unnecessary harm to aquatic environments, specifically in cases with little to no intended positive consequences for people. DOI: Keywords: perceived safety; well-being; nighttime; artificial light at night; blue space visits. Hélène Zillig, Mathew P. White 1 2 Urban and Environmental Psychology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1 Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 2 Urban Dynamics and Light Pollution 11 Corresponding Author: [email protected]