Change and Stability in Park Visitation Constraints Revisited

Abstract

Despite considerable advances in our understanding of constraint composition, antecedent conditions, outcomes, and negotiation behaviors, few studies have tracked how constraints have changed or remained stable over time. This investigation sought to examine the change and stability in park visitation constraints and preferred constraint negotiation strategies across a 10-year period. A 2001 telephone survey of residents from Northeast Ohio was compared with an identical survey administered in 1991. Data from the two surveys were weighted and compared. Perceived constraints and desired constraint negotiation strategies remained relatively stable across time. Relationships between these trends and park agency efforts over the 10-year period are discussed. Future constraint trend analyses should utilize longitudinal designs to examine park visitation constraints, particularly among underserved populations.

Keywords:

• leisure constraints
• trend analysis
• park visitation
• constraint negotiation

Notes

¹Given the volume of literature devoted to constraints over the past two decades, our intent here is not to provide a comprehensive review of the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and constraints but to limit our discussion to longitudinal studies examining these characteristics. A more thorough discussion of socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race) and their relationship to leisure constraints can be found in Jackson (in Press).

^a 1 = not important, 2 = somewhat important, and 3 = very important park use constraint.

^a %indicating that this strategy would likely result in increasing their use of parks.

^a Only significant standardized Beta coefficients are reported here. Beta coefficients are significant at p ≤ 0.05.

^b 0 = Females, 1 = Males

^c 0 = Blacks, 1 = Whites.