Residential attributes, park use, and perceived benefits: An exploration of individual and neighbourhood characteristics

Abstract

The authors explore the recreation pattern of Puerto Ricans in Southbridge, Massachusetts; to date, a relatively understudied Latino ethnic group in the field of recreation and leisure studies. The authors employed several OLS regression analyses to identify the individual, residency, and neighbourhood factors associated with patterns of Puerto Rican park use and perceived park use benefits. The findings suggest that factors associated with ethnicity, socio-economic status, park alternatives, and neighbourhood characteristics do affect park use and perceived benefits, especially when used in combination. Lastly, our findings indicate that objective measures of distance to the resource do not significantly impact park use or perceived park use benefits.