Exploring the social and emotional benefits of outdoor leisure activities among post-secondary students in Canada

Transitioning from school to university brings a plethora of psychological challenges. A review of literature indicates that factors such as self-efficacy (SE), trait emotional intelligence (TEI), cross-cultural adaptability (CCA), and a sense of belonging (SOB) play pivotal roles in students’ well-being. Ongoing reductions in postsecondary funding and cancellation of campus recreation programmes have raised questions. Consequently, this study examined whether participation in outdoor leisure activities was associated with differences in these four constructs among university students as it relates to their holistic development. We administered a survey to 305 students at a Canadian public university using validated measures of SE, TEI, CCA, and SOB. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant differences between students who participated in outdoor leisure activities and those who did not, with higher mean scores for participants. We concluded outdoor leisure participation may be associated with psychological factors and may be prioritized in university programmes and policies.