5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[HCG18-P03] A cross-regional comparison of campers: A health and well-being perspective
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Health and well-being, psychological well-being, residential region, living circle
The literature on the relationship between nature and health and well-being has progressed rapidly in the past few decades. Meanwhile, camping is an activity closely interacting with the natural environment, and camping has become a fast-growing outdoor recreation business in Taiwan. However, there is limited research specifically focused on understanding the influences of residential regions and living circles on health and well-being in the context of campers. This study aimed to explore the health and well-being differences of campers who were from different residential regions and living circles in Taiwan.
The study settings were the campgrounds in Wuling National Forest Recreation Area and Xitou Nature Education Area which were two renowned outdoor recreation and tourism destinations in Taiwan. There was a total of 701 campers who responded to the on-site surveys. Campers’ residential zip codes were asked in the questionnaire, and Google Maps was utilized to calculate campers’ residential region and living circle. Campers’ residential region and living circle were then served as the independent variables. I employed campers’ perceptions of psychological well-being (PWB) to measure campers’ health and well-being. PWB is defined as one’s level of psychological happiness and health, encompassing life satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment. Riff’s (1995) scales of PWB theory with 23 items were adopted and served as the dependent variables to test with campers’ residential region and living circle.
The results indicated that campers who lived in the central region of Taiwan and campers who were members of a closer living circle to the campground perceived higher levels of PWB. I suggest that managers may provide more campgrounds closer to campers’ residential areas, and provide a setting with a friendly and fresh atmosphere so as to promote the health and well-being of their clientele. Discussion and management implications for health and well-being benefits on camping are also provided.
The study settings were the campgrounds in Wuling National Forest Recreation Area and Xitou Nature Education Area which were two renowned outdoor recreation and tourism destinations in Taiwan. There was a total of 701 campers who responded to the on-site surveys. Campers’ residential zip codes were asked in the questionnaire, and Google Maps was utilized to calculate campers’ residential region and living circle. Campers’ residential region and living circle were then served as the independent variables. I employed campers’ perceptions of psychological well-being (PWB) to measure campers’ health and well-being. PWB is defined as one’s level of psychological happiness and health, encompassing life satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment. Riff’s (1995) scales of PWB theory with 23 items were adopted and served as the dependent variables to test with campers’ residential region and living circle.
The results indicated that campers who lived in the central region of Taiwan and campers who were members of a closer living circle to the campground perceived higher levels of PWB. I suggest that managers may provide more campgrounds closer to campers’ residential areas, and provide a setting with a friendly and fresh atmosphere so as to promote the health and well-being of their clientele. Discussion and management implications for health and well-being benefits on camping are also provided.