Urban youth identify "connecting with family and friends" as a primary motivator for recreating outdoorsThis study was based on the understanding that an awareness of urban youths’ motivations, interests, and reasons for recreating outdoors could be used to increase their participation in outdoor recreation. Listening sessions conducted with urban youth revealed three themes relating to what they want in outdoor recreation: Connect With Family and Friends, Escape and Unplug, and Discover the Adventure. Youth also indicated that using social media and mobile technologies to deliver messages would be an effective way to influence their behavior.
Researchers used the information obtained from the listening sessions to examine the effectiveness of themed video messages on urban minority youths’ intentions to recreate outdoors. They randomly assigned 372 urban, mostly minority youth (age 12-16) to one of three “treatment” videos (Escape and Unplug, Discover the Adventure, Connect With Family and Friends) or a “no-video” experience. After watching a video -- or no video -- the participants completed a 17-item survey measuring six themes from the listening sessions and four dimensions of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). TPB “posits that behavioral intention consists of attitude toward, social norms of, and perceived behavioral control about a desired behavior.” Youth participating in this study were 45% female, 55% male, and represented four race/ethnicity groups: Hispanic/Latino (20%), White (non-Hispanic; 20%), Black/African American (25%), and Asian (23%).
Scores relating to TPB (with the exception of behavior control) were generally high, indicating a desire among youth to recreate outdoors. There were, however, significant differences in the responses for all four dimensions of TPB by race/ethnicity. White and African American scores were significantly higher than Asian and Hispanic/Latino scores for behavior control. For social norms, the scores for white youth were significantly higher than scores for Hispanic/Latino and Asian youth. For attitudes, white youth scored significantly higher than Asian youth. For behavioral intentions, African American youth scored significantly higher than Asian youth; white youth scored significantly higher than Hispanic/Latino and Asian youth. White youth had the highest and Asian youth the lowest mean scores on all four dimensions.
Scores relating to the “treatment” videos (Escape and Unplug, Discover the Adventure, Connect With Family and Friends) differed from scores for the “no-video” experience. In response to “I would want to do something challenging”, these differences were significant, with "video treatment" scores higher than "no-video" scores. For race and ethnicity, significant differences were found for two of the six themes derived from the listening sessions. Asian youth scores for “I would want to do something challenging” were significantly lower than scores for white and African American youth. Scores for Asian youth in response to “I would want to have a new experience” were also significantly lower than scores for the other three groups. Overall responses of the Asian youth showed that they “are less likely than the other groups to perceive outdoor recreation as a social norm, have a positive attitude about it, or be able to access natural areas.”
These findings indicate that the use of themed messages may be an effective way to foster urban youths’ engagement in outdoor recreation. Capitalizing on the theme of “Connecting with Family and Friends” may be especially effective. This study also indicates that different racial and ethnic groups differ somewhat in their motivations to recreate outdoors. “Practitioners in areas with many racial and ethnic groups should offer marketing materials and have staff and programs in a variety of languages, as well as provide programs that acknowledge and respect the rich and unique cultural differences present in their community.”
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