Abstract
We describe the free‐time activities that emerged in the health beliefs and behaviours of American Indian elders in Northwestern Nevada utilizing a secondary data analysis of focus group data. Many American Indian health cultures maintain the need for a balance between body, mind, and spirit and represent a holistic view of health. We conducted focus groups with 19 American Indian elders aged 56 to 86 (17 women and two men) from three federally recognized tribes (two rural) and one urban tribal organization in Northern Nevada. The focus group data suggested that free‐time activities were an important aspect of the self‐care of elders living both on and off reservations in this geographical region. The elders’ health beliefs and behaviours centred on the physical and psychosocial benefits of being active/keeping busy during one's free‐time, social leisure, and leisure‐time physical activity, with multiple benefits described for some activities. The elders also described constraints to physical activities and arts and crafts primarily due to health limitations, as well as the negative aspects of free‐time particularly in regard to spending time with grandchildren and alcohol consumption. We propose that leisure self‐care may be a useful way to conceptualize the relationship between leisure and health as it relates to the opportunities, strategies, interests, and self‐identity of elders.
Published Version
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