Constraints to Park Visitation: A Meta-Analysis of North American Studies

Abstract

The constraints that curb visitation to parks have received considerable research attention and remain an important issue. Constraints to outdoor leisure in parks include structural barriers, such as cost of entry, interpersonal barriers, for example, lack of a partner to visit with, or intrapersonal barriers, including lack of interest. Using a meta-analysis approach, this article integrates the findings of   22 North American studies with 541 estimates, conducted over a 30-year period, to determine the key constraints to park visitation based on various socio-demographic factors. The findings highlight the varying roles that constraints play in limiting the visitation of people according to race, age, gender, education and income. Gaps in the literature are identified, with implications for encouraging visitation for more constrained groups discussed. An agenda for future research is presented.

Keywords:

• barriers
• constraints
• meta-analysis
• parks
• visitation

Notes

Importance observations and comparisons of 95th percentile confidence intervals are made in reference to absolute values only with no regard to the direction or sign of the influence or effect.