How Does Nature Contact Affect the Health Benefits of Park Green Spaces?

The health benefits of park green spaces are widely recognized, yet how multidimensional nature contact (nature contact frequency, nature contact duration, nature contact quality) is associated with these benefits through nature connectedness remains unclear. Based on 1049 valid questionnaires from comprehensive and community parks in Haikou and Taiyuan, we constructed a quality evaluation system and used structural equation modeling with Bootstrap mediation tests. Results show that nature contact quality has significant spatial and typological differences. Taiyuan scored higher than Haikou, and comprehensive parks performed significantly better than community parks, with the latter facing the bigger supply–demand gap. Nature contact frequency was positively associated with health benefits, with nature connectedness playing a partial mediation effect (39.3% of total). Nature contact quality showed a direct positive association, while nature contact duration shows no significant effect. Multi-group analysis reveals different pathways: In Haikou, both nature contact frequency and quality showed significant indirect associations with health benefits through nature connectedness, whereas in Taiyuan, both nature contact duration and frequency show significant indirect effects through nature connectedness, with the duration pathway being negative. Within the comprehensive park group, the pathway from nature contact frequency to nature connectedness to health benefits was significant. Within the community park group, direct associations involving nature contact quality and nature connectedness with health benefits were observed. Childhood living environment and physical activity types were also associated with variation in these pathways. These findings indicate that nature contact frequency and quality were positively associated with perceived health benefits. To enhance health benefits, differentiated strategies should be adopted based on city contexts, park types, and population characteristics.