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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Air Pollution And Outdoor Recreation On Urban Trails: A Case Study Of The Elizabeth River Trail, Norfolk, James E. Mccann, Chris A.B. Zajchowski, Eddie L. Hill, Xihe Zhu Jan 2021

Air Pollution And Outdoor Recreation On Urban Trails: A Case Study Of The Elizabeth River Trail, Norfolk, James E. Mccann, Chris A.B. Zajchowski, Eddie L. Hill, Xihe Zhu

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Poor air quality represents a significant health risk for individuals engaging in recreation activities outdoors in urban parks and trails. This study investigated temporal variability in particulate matter (PM) exposure along an urban waterfront trail. We also used recreation choice frameworks to examine the effects of visitors’ perceptions of air quality (AQ) and health benefits on trail use. Average air quality during the collection period was “good” (PM10) to “moderate” (PM2.5). We found that PM density was significantly higher (p < 0.001), though still in the “moderate” range, at 7–9 a.m., 11 a.m.–1 p.m., and 3–5 p.m., and on weekends. Visitors’ self-reported perceptions of health outcomes, but not air quality, significantly predicted trail use. Results suggest that these experiential factors may affect recreational choices depending on other factors, such as salience. Further research is merited to determine how experiential factors can be integrated with other theories of motivation to understand recreational decision-making.


Measuring The Educational Impact Of Promoting Environmental Awareness In Kids (Peak): The Development And Implementation Of A New Scale, Jennifer Miller, Lindsey Brown, Eddie Hill, Amy Shellman, Ron Ramsing, Edwin Gómez Jan 2012

Measuring The Educational Impact Of Promoting Environmental Awareness In Kids (Peak): The Development And Implementation Of A New Scale, Jennifer Miller, Lindsey Brown, Eddie Hill, Amy Shellman, Ron Ramsing, Edwin Gómez

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT) is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches skills and values for recreating responsibly in the out-of-doors. LNT developed Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK), based on seven ethical principles. The PEAK program provides a pack that contains several interactive activities specifically designed to educate children about the outdoors and the responsible use of shared public lands. While the PEAK program has been in existence for a number of years, the program’s effectiveness has not been empirically tested. Moreover, there is limited data regarding responsible environmental attitudes and behavior in elementary school-aged …