Summary report of 2022 human wellbeing Vital Signs survey

Executive summary

This report covers the third human wellbeing survey iteration to monitor the subjective human wellbeing Vital Signs adopted by the Puget Sound Partnership. The report presents findings for the following Vital Signs. Unless otherwise listed, there were no significant differences between 2018, 2020, and 2022 survey results:

Survey response rate: 20.8%

Good governance: 4.05 on a scale of 1-7 (where 1 is strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree)

• Score equates to ‘neutral’ response. Respondents do not feel strongly in agreement or disagreement about how the environment around them is managed and whether they feel heard in decision making.

Local foods: 1.42 on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 is 1-2x/season and 5 is >10 times/season)

• Score equates to collecting and/or harvesting local foods 1-2 times a season, or, ‘rarely’.

Sound stewardship: 3.36 on scale of 1-5 (where 1 is 1-4x/year and 5 is almost daily)

• Score equates to participants engaging in stewardship activities at least once a month, or, ‘occasionally’.

Cultural wellbeing: 3.81 on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 is dissatisfied and 5 is satisfied)

• 67% of survey participants did not participate in one or more of the cultural activities.
• Score equates to participants experiencing slightly below ‘somewhat satisfied’ with their ability to participate in cultural traditions related to the natural environment.
• This result is statistically different than 2020 findings but equates to the same category of satisfaction.

Sense of place is composed of 3 indicators:

Sense of place: 5.49 on a scale of 1-7 (where 1 is strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree)

• Score equates to respondents ‘somewhat agreeing’ that they have a sense of place in the Puget Sound.

Psychological wellbeing: 3.98 on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 is 1-4x/year and 5 is almost daily)

• Score equates to participants experiencing inspiration or stress reduction from the outdoors almost once a week, or ‘regularly.

Overall life satisfaction: 4.41 on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 is dissatisfied and 7 is satisfied)

• Score equates to respondents feeling ‘satisfied’ with their life.

Outdoor activity is composed of 2 indicators:

Nature-based recreation:

• There is no significant differences between the frequency of any summer activity between 2018 and 2022. The most frequent activities in 2022 are gardening/yardwork, the use of motorized trails and paved paths or trails for walking, running, and biking.
• During the winter months, the most frequently engaged with activities are the use of paved and unpaved paths or trails for walking, running, biking, etc. There was a significant difference in hunting frequency between 2018 and 2022.

Nature-based work:

• 13.6% of respondents said their work involved time outdoors, of those, 50% work more than 10 hours/week outdoors.

View the full report (pdf)