Influences on Outdoor Recreation Behavior Among Immigrant Women in Norway

Abstract

Excessive mental and physical health challenges among immigrant women in Norway call for a response. Interaction with nature has proven to benefit mental and physical well-being among immigrant women, but knowledge about the determinants of such behavior in this target group is scarce. This study thus aims to explore the influences on outdoor recreation behavior among immigrant women in Norway. Data were gathered through individual interviews with 14 women from Iran (2), Poland (2), Palestine, Afghanistan, Congo, Kenya, Thailand, Russia, Portugal, Latvia, Colombia, and Bulgaria. These were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Interviewees’ outdoor recreation behavior was influenced by multiple, mostly interrelated factors, including attitudes towards nature, perceived control over making use of nature, role models, access to outdoor companions, cultural norms, access to attractive natural environments, climate and light conditions, available time, and access to economic resources. The factors influencing the women’s outdoor recreational behavior are related both to their immigrant or ethnic backgrounds and to their other identities and can be found at the personal, social-environmental, and physical environmental/structural socio-ecological levels. Findings suggest that efforts to promote outdoor recreation among immigrant women would benefit from a multi-identity, multilevel socio-ecological approach.