Outdoor recreation behaviors and preferences of urban racial/ethnic groups: An example from the Chicago area

A study of outdoor recreation preferences and behavior of Non-Hispanic White Americans (n=618), African Americans (n=647), and Hispanic Americans (n=346) in Cook County, Illinois was conducted in early 1999. Respondents were contacted in a phone survey using random digit dialing and a quota for each group. Important similarities and differences were found among these three groups in their participation in 43 activities and use of 20 places. In addition, gender, age, education, income, residence, and household size helped explain outdoor recreation preferences and behavior. Results reported here reinforce the need to avoid stereotyping particular groups or using simple explanations of their outdoor recreation behavior.