Author(s): WONG, M., Institution: THE EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, Country: HONG KONG, Abstract-ID: 1440

Background
A growing body of research demonstrates that participation in outdoor adventure and recreational activities, including camping programs, significantly enhances subjective well-being, social-emotional competence, and psychological restoration through mechanisms such as satisfaction of basic psychological needs, nature connectedness, and transformative experiences (Pomfret et al., 2023). These benefits are particularly pronounced in structured camp-based interventions, which have been shown to foster positive identity development, social competencies, and emotion regulation among youth and adults alike (Thurber et al., 2007).
Methodology
This study, grounded in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), investigated the effects of outdoor adventure activities—encompassing day camps and overnight camping experiences—on participants’ stages of behavioral change related to campsite visitation, as well as associated differences in social-emotional competence and psychological restoration. Utilizing a pre-post design, data were collected from 5,951 participants across 18 campsites in Hong Kong.
Results
Stages of behavioral change were assessed using an adapted version of the Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire immediately before and after participation. Paired-samples t-tests indicated a highly significant forward progression along the TTM continuum (t (3361) = 78.66, p < .001; mean difference = 2.089), with 91.23% of participants advancing to higher stages post-activity. Descriptive transitions revealed substantial shifts from pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation toward action and especially maintenance
One-way ANOVAs revealed significant differences in social-emotional competence (SEC) and restorative outcomes (ROS) across the five TTM stages, both pre- and post-activity (all p < .001). Participants who demonstrated a post-activity intention to change (willchange = 1) consistently reported higher levels of SEC and ROS than those without such intention (all p < .001). Binary logistic regression further confirmed that higher post-activity social-emotional competence (B = 0.200, p = .034) significantly predicted greater likelihood of positive stage progression, whereas restorative experience showed only marginal association (B = 0.167, p = .080). Females and younger adults (particularly ages 19–30 and 31–40) had higher odds of stage advancement than males and the ≤18 reference group.
Conclusion
These findings indicate that structured outdoor adventure camping experiences effectively promote progression through stages of behavioral change while concurrently enhancing social-emotional competence and psychological restoration. The results highlight the value of campsite-based interventions in fostering sustained engagement in nature-based activities, particularly among younger and female participants, and offer implications for tailoring outdoor programs to maximize behavioral persistence and psychological benefits.