Motivations of older adults to participate in outdoor adventure experiences

As the number of adventure based programs has increased in the past 40 years, the opportunities for older adults to participate in outdoor adventure experiences has increased steadily. A previous study determined that information was lacking on the reasons why older adults participate in this programming area. The current study (n=782) sought to answer this question using a survey derived from the Recreation Experience Preference (REP) Inventory. Data from the study indicated that the most important motivations were: 1) being in a natural environment; 2) being physically active; 3) learning about outdoor skills and the environment; and 4) being in a group of people with similar interests. The data also indicated that these motivations were more significant for women than for men and for participants younger than 65 years old.