Gender Differences in Connection to Nature, Outdoor Preferences, and Nature-Based Recreation Among College Students in Brazil and the United States

Nature-based recreation (NBR) can enhance human health and promote conservation. As a result, there is a growing interest in the drivers of NBR. In two separate surveys of college students in Brazil (N = 224) and the United States (N = 207), we found that young adults with stronger connection to nature (CN) have a greater preference for outdoor environments to recreate and that these preferences are associated with more frequent participation in NBR. Fostering connection to nature could therefore alter recreation preferences and enhance NBR. We also discovered gender differences in CN, recreation setting preferences and NBR participation. While women were more connected to nature and tended to prefer outdoor environments to recreate, they were less likely than men to engage in NBR. These relationships were consistent across both countries, raising concerns about gender equity in the outdoors that transcend geographical and cultural contexts.