1. Jackie Eul Major: Outdoor Studies and Tourism
Are Childhood Experiences with Nature Associated with Outdoor Physical Activity in Young Adults?
Jackie Eul
Major: Outdoor Studies and Tourism

2. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Children ages 6-18 need at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
Adults need at least 30 minutes on 5 days a week.
Credits to the American Heart Association guidelines

3. INFLUENCE OF NATURE ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
PEACH(Personal and Environmental Associations with Children’s Health) Project in the UK. 1,010 children presented data using GPS and accelerometer technology.
Correlation with increased accelerometer movement and being outside

4. WILD NATURE
“Hiking or playing in the woods, camping, hunting, or fishing”
US study of 2,000 show time with nature had a positive environmental impact (Lekies,Wells,2006)

5. Purpose
Is time spent in “wild nature” as a child (before the age of 11) associated with physically active outdoor time as an adult?
Is time spent in “wild nature” as a teenager (after the age of 11) associated with physically active outdoor time as an adult?
Is there a difference between male and female time spent in wild nature and how that influences their respective outdoor physical activity levels?

6. Methods

7. Fit.Green.Happy.® Survey
Self-report of outdoor physical activity: average number of days & average number of minutes
Self-report of time spent in “wild nature”: (never, sometimes, always)
T-tests and ANCOVAs were used to assess relationships between outdoor activity and time in “wild nature”

8. Results

9. Outdoor physical activity

10. Childhood experiences in Nature

11. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TIME IN WILD NATURE IN GIRLS

12. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TIME IN WILD NATURE IN GIRLS

13. Discussion What are the “take aways”?
Overall, college age males get more outdoor physical activity than females
Females report a significant increase in outdoor physical activity when they sometimes or always spent time in wild nature as a child.

14. Implications
Certain sub-populations of students may need additional or tailored programming to increase physical activity and health outcomes.
It is important to understand the early outdoor experiences of our students to best develop programs and enhance curriculums.

15. Questions?