How Childhood Experiences in Nature Might Influence Adulthood Participation in Nature-Based Recreation

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract Participation in activities that occur in natural settings during childhood tends to influence the frequency with which an individual engages in nature-based recreation during adulthood, along with their perceptions of the natural environment in adulthood. This study examined how childhood nature experience (CNE) might affect nature-based recreational behavior among adults residing in urban settings. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 1,004 urban residents in the Singapore city-state and found that urban parks were among the most frequently visited outdoor spaces, whereas more natural green spaces were less frequently visited. We found that CNE had a significant and robust positive effect on nature-based activities (NBA); this effect was followed by the effects of gender and income. Our findings to reveal the most frequently visited outdoor space among Singaporean and the correlation between the frequencies of CNE and sociodemographic have different effect on NBA adulthood. Thus, our findings suggest that CNE is strongly linked to adult NBA and is common among adults, particularly in the Asian region. Our findings may be utilized to inform the design and management of outdoor areas for younger generations, with the aim of encouraging the development of early childhood outdoor exposure.