Contribution of Leisure Context, Motivation and Experience to the Frequency of Participation in Structured Leisure Activities among Adolescents

Leisure time is considered an important context for adolescent development. The purpose of this article is to investigate what contributes to the frequency of adolescents’ participation in structured leisure activities (SLA). Participants were aged 14–21 years (M = 18.87, SD = 1.23) and 44.8% of participants were female. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that boys and adolescents who perceive the context of participation in SLA as safe, are externally or intrinsically motivated, and perceive that participation has contributed to their identity development and experiences of initiative, as well as their experiences of stress, are more likely to participate frequently in SLA. On the other hand, these findings indicate that girls and adolescents who are unmotivated to participate in SLA and who experience negative peer influences while participating in SLA are less likely to frequently participate in SLA. It can be concluded that it is important to think much more broadly than just the setting of the activities themselves when promoting young people’s participation in SLA. Some of the features of SLA that promote positive youth development are presented in this paper.

Functional status, mood state, and physical activity among women with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome

Objectives: While organ-specific pathophysiology has been well-described in SARS-CoV-2 infection, less is known about the attendant effects on functional status, mood state and leisure-time physical activity (PA) in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Methods: A case-control design was employed to recruit 32 women (n = 17 SARS-CoV-2; n = 15 controls) matched on age (54 +/- 12 years), body mass index (27 +/- 6 kg/m2), smoking status, and history of cardiopulmonary disease. Participants completed a series of assessments including the Modified Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire (PFSDQ-M), Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time PA. Results: SARS-CoV-2 participants exhibited poorer functional status (p = 0.008) and reduced leisure-time PA (p = 0.004) compared to controls. Significant between-group differences were also detected for the POMS total mood disturbance with sub-scale analyses revealing elevated tension, confusion, and lower vigor among SARS-CoV-2 participants (all p-values < 0.05). The number of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms (e.g.,loss of taste / smell, muscle aches etc.) were associated (r = 0.620, p = 0.008) with confusion. Conclusion: The sequela of persistent SARS-CoV-2 symptoms elicit clear disturbances in functional status, mood state, and leisure-time PA among women with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.

Householders Attitude, Preferences, and Willingness to Have Home Garden at Time of Pandemics

The value of home gardens has become more apparent among tenants forced into isolation in difficult and uncertain times arising since the COVID-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. While gardens make a significant contribution to the social and ecological environment of cities, most studies have focused on public green spaces. Investigating householder preferences for gardens during and after the mandatory lockdown period in the UAE is required. The main objective of this study is to analyze the householder’s attitude, preferences, and willingness to have home gardens during the pandemic and after. The data were collected via an online survey of randomly selected respondents. A logistic econometrical model was utilized to analyze the factors affecting respondent preferences regarding having a garden. According to the results, the probability of having a garden increases among respondents who produce some crops, have attained Msc/PhD. level, a backyard, and a larger space to cultivate. It decreases among those who are married, find it hard to take care of a garden, and face a weed problem. In conclusions, it is highly recommended for householders to have home gardens, which can provide a quality lifestyle and enhance leisure time during the pandemic and after.

All are equal, but some are more equal than others: social determinants of leisure time physical activity through the lens of intersectionality

Background To date, no research has investigated social determinants of leisure time physical activity through the lens of intersectionality in a low- and middle-income country. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the intersectionality in leisure time physical activity in a nationwide sample of Brazilian adults. Methods Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013 were analysed (N = 58,429). Prevalence of sufficient leisure time physical activity (150+ minutes per week in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) was estimated according to gender, racial identity, education and income, and according to multiple combinations of these sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., multiple jeopardy index). Results The prevalence of sufficient leisure time physical activity was 22.9% (95%CI: 22.3 to 23.6). Overall, the prevalence of sufficient leisure time physical activity was highest among men, individuals with white skin colour, and among those in the highest group of education and income. Among men, white, with a university degree and in the highest quartile of income (3% of the population), the prevalence of sufficient leisure time physical activity was 48%. Among non-white women with low education and low income (8.1% of the population), the prevalence of sufficient leisure time physical activity was 9.8%. Conclusion Informed by the theory of intersectionality, findings of this study have shown that intersections of gender, racial identity and socioeconomic position of the Brazilian society strongly influence leisure time physical activity at the individual level. Targeted interventions to increase leisure time physical activity should address the complexities of social status intersections.

Associations between Physical Activity and Academic Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study among Slovenian Primary School Students

Physical activity has beneficial effects on overall academic performance in children. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding how the individual characteristics of physical activity interact with other confounding variables of academic competence. Leisure-time physical activity with potential confounders—such as developmental, behavioral, family, and school factors, predicting overall, mathematical, and reading academic competence—was studied in a random sample of 1520 Slovenian primary school students in grades 4–6 (51.9% female; mean age = 10.4 years; SD = 0.93). A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to gather data on the children’s leisure-time physical activity and social-demographic variables, while academic competence was measured by teachers using the SSRS Academic Competence Evaluation Scale. The findings showed that children engage in physical activity most days a week, with moderate-intensity and unorganized activities. It was predicted that engaging in physical activity would lead to an increase in academic performance by 4.2% in males (p = 0.002) and 3.2% in females (p = 0.024), but after fully adjusting the model for controlling confounding variables, the prediction increased to 81.1% in females and 84.1% in males (p < 0.001). The frequency and intensity of physical activity, the absence of digital games, and attending sports clubs seem to have the most beneficial effects in terms of academic competence in school children, among other relevant confounders mediating in this complex relationship.

Leisure Behavior of Young Immigrants in Andalusia (Spain): The Process of Acculturation through Physical Activities and Sport

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role that physical activity and sport plays during leisure time (LTPAS) in the social integration of young immigrants (Africans, Latin-Americans, and Eastern Europeans) in Andalusia, Spain. Method: With this aim, Physical Activity and Sport Acculturation Index (PASAI) data were collected through a survey of the immigrant population aged 15–20. The final sample consists of 440 surveys. The average age was 17.6 (SD = 2.9). 48.4% of them were men, 72% were single, and 72.8% had secondary-level studies. In terms of generation, the second-generation population represented 25.8% of the total, the 1.5 generation 43.5%, and the first generation 30.7%. The questionnaire was voluntarily answered by immigrant students in classrooms and was completed in the second stage via random surveys of residential areas to cover the quota of age and origin. A regression analysis was applied in two phases, generating two models. The first included independent socio-demographic variables; the second included structural variables. Results: First, the results show that immigrants have a low participation rate in physical activity and sport during their leisure time. Second, generation and origin are the main variables that predict variation in physical and sport participation.

Cognitive Reserve in Early Manifest Huntington Disease Patients: Leisure Time Is Associated with Lower Cognitive and Functional Impairment

We focused on Cognitive Reserve (CR) in patients with early Huntington Disease (HD) and investigated whether clinical outcomes might be influenced by lifetime intellectual enrichment over time. CR was evaluated by means of the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq), an internationally validated scale which includes three sections: education, working activity, and leisure time. The clinical HD variables were quantified at three different time points (baseline-t0, 1 year follow up-t1 and 2 years follow up-t2) as per the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), an internationally standardized and validated scale including motor, cognitive, functional and behavioral assays. Our sample consisted of 75 early manifest patients, withclinical stage scored according to the Total Functional Capacity (TFC) scale. Our correlational analysis highlighted a significant inverse association between CRIq leisure time (CRIq_LA) and longitudinal functional impairment (namely, the differential TFC score between t2 and t0 or ΔTFC) (p < 0.05), and the multidimensional progression of HD as measured by the composite UHDRS (cUHDRS, p < 0.01). CRIq_LA was significantly and positively associated with better cognitive performances at all time points (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that higher is the CRIq_LA, milder is the progression of HD in terms of functional, multidimensional and cognitive outcome.

Differing determinants of disability trends among men and women aged 50 years and older

Background Researchers have emphasized the importance of examining how different factors affect men’s and women’s functional status over time. To date, the literature is unclear about whether sex affects the rate of change in disability in middle to older age. Researchers have further emphasized the importance of examining how different factors affect men’s and women’s functional status over time. We examined (a) sex differences in disability trends and (b) the determinants of the rate of change in disability for men and women 50 years and older. Methods This study utilized the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging Survey, a nationally representative database (four waves of survey data 1996–2007, N = 3429). We modeled and compared the differences in disability trends and the influences of determinants on trends among men and women using multiple-indicator and multiple-group latent growth curves modeling (LGCM). Equality constraints were imposed on 10 determinants across groups. Results Once disability began, women progressed toward greater disability 18% faster than men. Greater age added about 1.2 times the burden to the rate of change in disability for women than men (p < 0.001). More comorbidities also added significantly more burden to baseline disability and rate of change in disability among women than men (p < 0.001), but women benefited more from higher education levels in lower baseline disability and slower rate of change. Having a better social network was associated with lower baseline disability among women only (p < 0.05). For both men and women, physically active leisure-time activities were beneficial in lower baseline disability (pmen and women < 0.001) and rate of change in disability (pmen < 0.01; pwomen < 0.05), with no significant differences between groups. Conclusions Age may widen the sex gap in the rate of change in disability. However, both sexes benefit from participating in leisure-time activities. Promoting health literacy improves health outcomes and physical function among women.