COVID-19 Risk Perception, Stress-coping, and Life Satisfaction Differences in Leisure Involvement among Korean Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

Objectives: COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on everyone’s life, and Asian immigrants,including Korean immigrants, were one of the most vulnerable groups during this period. Prior studieshave reported that leisure participation can be used as an effective strategy to cope with stressful andtraumatic life experiences and promote improved health and well-being. Methods: In this study, 237Korean immigrants living in the United States were asked to complete an online survey to explore thedifferences in COVID-19 risk perception, stress-coping, and health due to leisure involvement levels.Results: The results showed that the Highly Active Leisure Group (HALG) demonstrated significantly lowerstress perception and higher levels of life satisfaction compared to the Moderately Active Leisure Group(MALG) and the Less Active Leisure Group (LALG). However, we found no statistically significant differencesin COVID-19 risk perception and resiliency between the groups. Conclusions: This research highlightsthe importance of active leisure participation in coping with stressors related to traumatic life eventssuch as pandemics. To encourage active leisure involvement among ethnic minorities, such as Koreanimmigrants, recreation and sports professionals and local community leaders should strive to design anddevelop more culturally appropriate programs that incorporate activities associated with Asian cultures.