Green Physical Activity: Motivators, Barriers, and the Role of Social Media

Abstract

Performing physical activity in natural spaces, or green physical activity (GPA), could have positive synergistic effects on many aspects contributing to overall health including physical health, mental health and wellbeing, education and life-long learning, and active citizenship. Throughout U.S. history, however, largely white cisgender men without disabilities and the systems that uphold their “superiority” have made natural spaces more “off-limits” to female, transgender, and genderqueer individuals; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) community; people with disabilities; and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Statistics suggest these historically excluded groups still participate in GPA, but as the U.S. becomes more diverse, greater diversity in GPA participation rates should be a priority. This dissertation uses mixed methodologies to: (1) assess motivations for and barriers to participation in GPA in a diverse sample of adults in the U.S., and (2) explore social media as tools to increase GPA in historically excluded populations. This dissertation includes three study manuscripts, entitled Chapters 4, 5, and 6. Participants (N=205) completed self-report survey measures of motivations for GPA, barriers to GPA, self-efficacy for GPA, GPA behavior, social media use, and sociodemographic information. Chapter 4 provides quantitative and qualitative motivators and barriers for GPA, additionally exploring differences by identity domain (i.e., gender, sexual identity, disability status, and race and ethnicity). Chapter 5 assesses associations between social media use, self-efficacy for GPA, and GPA behavior in a subsample of participants who view GPA-related social media content on social media (n=169). Finally, Chapter 6 presents focus group results regarding experiences viewing GPA-related social media content for a subsample of participants (n=31) who follow GPA-related social media specifically on Facebook and/or Instagram. Collectively, this dissertation uses a distinct approach to provide a foundation for an interdisciplinary team to increase GPA participation in and representation of historically excluded identities.