|
SCNA NUDIST FORUM
Return to Nudist Forum Menu |
NEW NATIONWIDE ROPER POLL SHOWS
A MAJORITY NOW SUPPORT DESIGNATED AREAS FOR NUDE BEACHES
First Pubished by the Naturist Education Foundation, 10/16/2006
Oshkosh, Wisconsin – A new nationwide poll commissioned by the Naturist Education Foundation (NEF) and conducted by the prestigious polling firm of Roper Public Affairs, indicates that close to three-quarters of Americans approve of nude sunbathing on beaches set aside for that purpose.
In the scientific sampling of 1009 U.S. adults conducted recently by Roper, 74 percent of those polled said they believed people who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able to do so without interference from local officials as long as they do so at a beach that is accepted for that purpose. The sustained high approval rating for nude beaches is up slightly from the 72% who responded favorably to an identical poll question posed by Gallup in 1983, and off a bit from the high of 80% who approved in a 2000 poll commissioned by NEF and administered by Roper.
The NEF/Roper Poll 2006 was conducted September 8-10, 2006, and surveyed 1,009 adult U.S. residents. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. Roper Public Affairs is a subsidiary of GFK-NOP, LLC, an international research business.
Responses to other questions in the poll suggest that more than 55 million Americans have, at one time or another skinny-dipped or sunbathed nude in mixed-gender groups.
A majority of Americans favor the proposal that a portion of public land should be set aside by governments for nude recreation, as is often done for other special recreation interests like snowmobiling, surfing and hunting. Approval for government designation of clothing-optional areas has reached 54% in the 2006 survey, up from 39% in 1983 to 48% in 2000.
"Public approval has been building continually for designating clothing-optional areas," noted NEF Chair Bob Morton. "But governmental agencies have been slow to respond to the emerging demand. This updated poll demonstrates that the trend is certainly no fluke. A majority now expects governments to respond."
The Naturist Education Foundation, Inc., is the nonprofit educational and informational adjunct to The Naturist Society, an organization with thousands of members who enjoy nude recreation throughout the U.S. and Canada. By gathering and disseminating information, NEF promotes body acceptance and an understanding of naturist issues.
The 2006 Poll Results:
Do you believe that people who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able to do so without interference from local officials as long as they do so at a beach that is accepted for that purpose?
Yes 74%
No 24%
Refuse to answer 2%
Local and state governments now set aside public land for special types of recreation such as snow-mobiling, surfing, and hunting. Do you think special and secluded areas should be set aside by the government for people who enjoy nude sunbathing?
Have you, personally, ever gone “skinny-dipping” or nude sunbathing in a mixed group of men and women at a beach, at a pool, or somewhere else?
Q4. Do you believe people should be able to be nude in their backyard without interference,
The margin of error on all questions is +/- 3%
Reprinted with permission.
Q1.
Yes 74% No 24%
Refuse to Answer 2%
Q2.
The same question was asked in 1983 and 2000. The graph at right shows how the Yes votes compares over the years.
Yes 54% No 43%
Refuse to Answer 3%
Q3.
Yes 25% No 73%
Refuse to Answer 2%
Q4.
if they are not visible to others?
Yes 74% No 24%
Refuse to Answer 2%
This study was conducted via OmniTel, a weekly national omnibus survey of Gik NOP
Interviews were conducted among 1,009 people ages 18+ from September 8th-10th, 2006. All interviews are conducted by telephone from the four Gfk NOP World sites. Together, the four sites have a full-time capacity of 400 lines, and utilize an interviewing procedure known as CATI - Computer Assisted Telephone interviewing. Interviewers have been professionally trained and are continuously monitored and supervised.
Each Ornnitel study is based on a random digit dialing (RDD) probability sample of all telephone households in the continental United States. The RDD sampling system is totally computer based and provides an equal probability of selection for each and every telephone household. Thus, the sample represents telephone households with both listed and unlisted phones in their proper proportions. All sample numbers selected by this procedure are subject to an original and at least four follow-up attempts to complete an interview.
The margin of error for the entire sample is +/- three percentage points. The margin of error at the subgroup level is higher. Please note that for questions that do not include a 'don't know" answer choice, percentages may not add up to 100%.
|
About the Naturist Education Foundation |