Identification of Environmental,Managerial,and Sociodemographic Correlates of Hiker Volume on the Florida National Scenic Trail

Abstract

Purpose.

The purpose of this study was to identify the association of environmental, managerial, and sociodemographic variables with hiker volume on the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Design.

Monthly hiker count data from 43 count stations along the Florida National Scenic Trail were used. For each station the characteristics of the built and natural environment as well as sociodemographic variables were computed within a Geographic Information System based on census, land use, and land cover data, together with managerial data.

Setting.

Counts were performed on access points of the Florida National Scenic Trail located between the panhandle area in the northwest and the Everglades in the south.

Subjects.

A total of 34,734 hikers were counted across the 43 stations over 12-month periods for years 2003–2004 and 2008–2009.

Measures.

Hiker volume was measured through infrared counters and registration cards at trail access points.

Analysis.

A negative binomial regression with monthly hiker counts as response variable.

Results.

Positive associations with hiker volume were observed for (population density per hectare)² (β = .207, p < .02), residential areas (β = .041, p < .0003), household income between $25,000 and $49,999 (β = .266, p < .0001), household income between $50,000 and $99,999 (β = .135, p < .0001), open water (β = .135, p < .0001), and station kilometers north (β = .003, p < .0001). Negative associations with hiker volume were observed for age <18 (β = –.305, p < .0001) and presence of trail fees (β = –.583, p < .0001). Positive and negative associations were observed for different categories in categorical variables including prominent vegetation type (p < .0001), trail management agency (p < .0001), and month (p < .0001).

Conclusions.

The correlates should be considered for the design, planning, and promotion of hiking trails in publicly managed areas to increase hiker volume.

Keywords

Physical Exercise Hiking Recreation Trail Design Environment Design Natural Areas Prevention Research Manuscript format: research Research purpose: relationship testing Study design: nonexperimental Outcome measure: behavioral Setting: state Health focus: fitness/physical activity Strategy: built environment Target population age: youth,adults,seniors Target population circumstances: geographic location

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Wyatt

Winters

Dubbert

. Overweight and obesity: Prevalence, consequences, and causes of a growing public health problem. Am J Med Sci. 2006;331:166–174.

Flegal

Carroll

Ogden

Curtin

. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. JAMA. 2010;303:235–241.

Mokdad

Bowman

Ford

. The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States. JAMA. 2001;286:1195–1200.

Lee

I-M

Rexrode

Cook

. Physical activity and coronary heart disease in women—is “no pain, no gain” passé? JAMA. 2001;285:1447–1454.

Kriska

Saremi

Hanson

. Physical activity, obesity, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in a high-risk population. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;158:669–675.

Giovannucci

Ascherio

Rimm

. Physical activity, obesity, and risk for colon cancer and adenoma in men. Ann Intern Med. 1995;122:327–334.

Whelton

Chin

Xin

. Effect of aerobic exercise on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:493–503.

Humpel

Owen

Leslie

. Environmental factors associated with adults' participation in physical activity: A review. Am J Prev Med. 2002;22:188–199.

Pergams

ORW

Zaradic

. Evidence for a fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;105:2295–2300.

10.

Saelens

Sallis

Frank

. Environmental correlates of walking and cycling: Findings from the transportation, urban design, and planning literatures. Ann Behav Med. 2003;25:80–91.

11.

Reynolds

Wolch

Byrne

. Trail characteristics as correlates of urban trail use. Am J Health Promot. 2007;24:335–345.

12.

Hoehner

Brennan

Brownson

. Opportunities for integrating public health and urban planning approaches to promote active community environments. Am J Health Promot. 2003;18:14–20.

13.

Boehmer

Hoehner

Deshpande

. Perceived and observed neighborhood indicators of obesity among urban adults. Int J Obes. 2007;31:968–977.

14.

Ewing

Schmid

Killingsworth

. Relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and morbidity. Am J Health Promot. 2003;18:47–57.

15.

Feng

Glass

Curriero

. The built environment and obesity: A systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence. Health Place. 2010;16:175–190.

16.

Lindsay

Wilson

Rubchinskaya

. Estimating urban trail traffic. Landscape Urban Plann. 2007;8:299–315.

17.

Gobster

. Perception and use of a metropolitan greenway system for recreation. Landscape Urban Plann. 1995;33:401–413.

18.

Krizek

El-Geneidy

Thompson

. A detailed analysis of how an urban trail system affects cyclists' travel. Transportation. 2007;34:611–624.

19.

Hunter

Huang

. User counts on bicycle lanes and multiuse trails in the United States. Transp Res Rec. 1995;1502:45–57.

20.

Brainard

Bateman

Lovett

. Modelling demand for recreation in English woodlands. Forestry. 2001;74:423–438.

21.

Reed

Seymour

. Predicting the Intensity of Recreational Use of Oak Woodland Preserves. Albany, Calif: Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service; 2008. General technical report PSW-GTR-217.

22.

Dwyer

. Predicting daily use of urban forest recreation sites. Landscape Urban Plann. 1988;15:127–138.

23.

Florida Trail Association. Florida Trail Association Web page. Available at: http://www.floridatrail.org/. Accessed December 23, 2011.

24.

Friend

The Florida Trail: The Official Hiking Guide. Englewood, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers; 2004.

25.

Albritton

Stein

. Integrating social and natural resource information to improve planning for motorized recreation. Appl Geogr. 2011;31:85–97.

26.

Wan

Cucinella

Stein

. Florida National Scenic Trail Visitor Assessment Annual Report 2008–2009. Gainesville, Fla: University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; 2009.

27.

Wan

Kil

Stein

. Florida National Scenic Trail Visitor Assessment Annual Report 2009–2010. Gainesville, Fla: University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; 2010.

28.

Albritton

Denny

Stein

. Florida National Scenic Trail Visitor Assessment Annual Report 2006–2007. Gainesville, Fla: University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; 2007.

29.

James

McCulloch

. Multivariate analysis in ecology and systematics: Panacea or Pandora's box? Annu Rev Ecol Syst. 1990;21:129–166.

30.

Agresti

. Categorical Data Analysis. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2002.

31.

Legendre

. Spatial autocorrelation: Trouble or new paradigm? Ecology. 1993;74:1659–1673.

32.

Cliff

Ord

. Spatial autocorrelation: A review of existing and new measures with applications. Econ Geogr. 1970;46:269–292.

33.

Albritton

Wan

Stein

. Florida National Scenic Trail Visitor Assessment Annual Report 2007–2008. Gainesville, Fla: University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; 2008.

34.

Lovett

Brainard

Bateman

. Improving benefit transfer demand functions: A GIS approach. J Environ Manage. 1997;51:373–389.

35.

de Smith

Goodchild

Longley

. Geospatial Analysis. 3rd ed. Leicester, United Kingdom: Matador; 2010.

36.

Driver

. Managing to Optimize the Beneficial Outcomes of Recreation. State College, Pa: Venture Publishing; 2008.

37.

Bedimo-Rung

Mowen

Cohen

. The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: A conceptual model. Am J Prev Med. 2005;28:159–168.

38.

Lee

Scott

Floyd

. Structural inequalities in outdoor recreation participation: A multiple hierarchy stratification perspective. J Leis Res. 2001;33:427–449.

39.

Stein

. Making ecotourism a reality: An integrated approach. Renewable Resour J. 2001;19:6–12.