Dimensions of Leisure and Perceived Health in Young University Students.

Montserrat Andrés-Villas,Pedro J Pérez-Moreno,Diego Díaz-Milanés,Mercedes Vélez-Toral,Raquel Remesal-Cobreros

doi:10.3390/ijerph17238750

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the main leisure habits of students at the University of Huelva and the relationship with perceived health by grouping the various activities into components whilst also evaluating possible gender differences. The sample was selected through random cluster sampling and was composed of 903 students from various courses and degrees. Of the sample, 73.8% were female and 26.2% were male, with a mean age of 20.82 years. The participants responded to items measuring perceived health and the inventory of leisure activities extracted from the INJUVE (Spanish Youth Observatory) survey. The results obtained offered a solution of four components, grouping the activities into passive leisure, festive leisure, sports–competitive leisure and cultural leisure. Passive leisure was the most practiced and cultural leisure the least practiced. Statistically significant differences were observed between men and women in terms of the sports–competitive component and in the perception of health. In addition, a direct relationship was found between the sports–competitive dimension and health perception. These results support the existence of a “techno-active” profile in males and should be considered in the creation of university policies linked to health promotion or the prevention of risk behaviors.

Highlights

Leisure can be defined as “a form of using free time through a freely chosen and fulfilling occupation, whose very development is satisfactory or pleasant for the individual” [1]
Descriptive Analysis of Leisure Practices, Health Perception and Differences According to Gender
When evaluating leisure activities according to gender, statistically significant differences were found for playing sports (χ2 (1; N = 847) = 71.516, p < 0.001; CC = 0.279), attending sporting events (χ2 (1; N = 848) = 84.426, p < 0.001; CC = 0.301) and playing video games (χ2 (1; N = 848) = 159.980, p < 0.001; CC = 0.398), all with a small effect size (Table 2), with males practicing all of these activities more than females (76.2% vs. 43.3%, 22.3% vs. 2.9% and 54% vs. 12.3%, respectively)

Summary

Introduction

Leisure can be defined as “a form of using free time through a freely chosen and fulfilling occupation, whose very development is satisfactory or pleasant for the individual” [1]. In the 20th century, there was a growing interest in the study of leisure, with attempts to analyze the role it plays with respect to other dimensions of life. This evaluation established five dimensions of leisure, namely ludic, solidary, festive, creative and environmental–ecological, based on the purpose for which each one was practiced [2]. There are currently various instruments for evaluating leisure, such as the Questionnaire of Motivations, Attitudes and Behaviors in Youth Physical Sports Leisure (MACOFYD) developed by Ponce de León, Sanz, Ramos and Valdemoros [3], the INJUVE survey used since 2003 in the Survey of Opinion and Situation of Young People of the Youth Observatory in. Public Health 2020, 17, 8750; doi:10.3390/ijerph17238750 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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