Self-reported participation in outdoor and nature-based recreation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic supports psychological health and well-being

Justin M Beall; S Brent Jackson; William R Casola; M Nils Peterson; Lincoln R Larson; Kathryn T Stevenson; Erin Seekamp

doi:10.1016/j.wss.2022.100094

Self-reported participation in outdoor and nature-based recreation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic supports psychological health and well-being

Wellbeing Space Soc. 2022:3:100094. doi: 10.1016/j.wss.2022.100094. Epub 2022 Jul 16.

Authors

Justin M Beall¹, S Brent Jackson², William R Casola², M Nils Peterson², Lincoln R Larson¹, Kathryn T Stevenson¹, Erin Seekamp¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 2820 Faucette Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, United States.
² Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 2820 Faucette Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, United States.

Abstract

Restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered daily lives and affected human health and well-being. Outdoor and nature-based activities could potentially mitigate some of these negative impacts. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor recreation and subjective well-being, we combined two samples of U.S. adults collected from April 30^th - June 15^th, 2020 and from August 7^th - August 26^th, 2020 (total n = 2178) using Qualtrics XM. During the pandemic, participation in outdoor activities declined by 35%, participation in nature-based activities declined by 33%, and subjective well-being declined by 24%. Participation in outdoor activities and nature activities prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic predicted smaller declines in subjective well-being. Results highlight the importance of outdoor recreation for building resilience to changes in subjective well-being before and during global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Nature-based Recreation; Outdoor Recreation; Resilience; Subjective Well-being.