Being “outdoors” in a new country: associations between immigrant characteristics, outdoor recreation activities, and settlement satisfaction in Canada

ABSTRACT

Many immigrants in Canada experience rapid mental health deterioration as they integrate into their host country. Participation in outdoor recreation, and natural environments at large, have been suggested as a health-promoting activity that facilitates immigrants’ adaptation, fostering mental health and wellbeing. We used cross-sectional data from the Canadian General Social Survey 2016 (n = 15,876) to explore the associations between immigrant characteristics (i.e. status, length of settlement, and migration programme), participation in outdoor recreation activities, and settlement satisfaction (operationalised as satisfaction with life in Canada and with the local environment). Our findings suggest that immigrants engage in significantly fewer outdoor activities, and settlement satisfaction varies according to the length of settlement and immigration programmes (i.e. refugees, family reunification and economic immigrants). Participation in outdoor recreation activities was associated with significantly higher levels of settlement satisfaction. Participation in a broader range of outdoor activities moderated the association between immigrant characteristics and satisfaction with the local environment. Our findings have implications for recreation professionals and settlement agencies.

KEYWORDS:

• Nature
• immigrants
• outdoor recreation
• outdoor leisure
• settlement

Disclosure statement

This research was conducted without funding. The authors do not have any financial or non-financial interest related to this research.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2024.2328087

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ulises Charles-Rodriguez

Ulises Charles Rodriguez, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Calgary and a Sessional Instructor of Public Health at the University of Lethbridge. His research focuses on the intersections of nature, health, and inclusion of equity-deserving communities.

Richard Larouche

Richard Larouche, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Public Health and the Board of Governors Research Chair on children’s physical activity at the University of Lethbridge. Based on the social-ecological model, his research focuses on behavioral and environmental factors associated with physical activity in diverse populations.