Impact of Outdoor Recreation on Undergraduate Health Students’ Overall Health

Objective: The goal of this study was aimed at finding a correlation between the amount of weekly outdoor recreation undergraduate Boise State University Health students partake in and the effect it had on their overall health and well-being. Multiple factors were analyzed in order to measure the relationship between the amount of outdoor activity and the students\u27 health status, which included social experience on campus, academic performance in the classroom, and overall observed stress levels. Methods: This study utilized the anonymous Qualtrics survey software to examine the responses to specific research questions regarding the above intention from 44 undergraduate students currently enrolled in HLTH 382. Results: The study found that there could be a relationship between the amount of outdoor activity participated in on a weekly basis and the amount of stress perceived by those who were active at least one to two times per week. It also showed a correlation between being relatively active and higher academic performance. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the relationships between regular outdoor activity and the perception of experiences relating to social experience on campus, academic performance in Boise State classes, and overall levels of stress felt by students. Further research is needed in order to explain and expand upon results that were achieved; the population size surveyed was quite small to conclude completely accurate readings, while new factors could be added to obtain a better understanding of how stress levels were measured by participants