Early-Life Outdoor Experiences and Involvement in Outdoor Recreational Activities in Adulthood: A Case Study of Visitors in Da-Keng, Taiwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between outdoor experiences in adolescence and outdoor activity involvement in adulthood, with the aim of determining which kinds of outdoor experiences could significantly influence outdoor activity involvement. According to a literature review, five variables appeared to be common in early-life outdoor experiences, including participating in outdoor activities with family and friends, participating alone, participating in outdoor activities provided by organizations, and extracurricular outdoor activities provided by schools. Data were collected from 800 participants in outdoor activities in the Da-Keng recreational area in Taiwan, with questionnaires asking about their level of activity involvement and their early-life outdoor experiences. The results revealed that there were three significantly predictive factors: participating in outdoor activities with parents, participating in outdoor activities with friends, and participating in outdoor activities provided by organizations. Based on these results, suggestions were made and discussed.

Keywords:

• activity involvement
• adolescence
• outdoor experience

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. Also the authors gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of National Science Council in Taiwan and this research is part of the results of a National Science Council research project (No. NSC97-2410-H-020-004-SSS).