Leisure-time as a health-promoting setting –experiences from youth-centers in Sweden

Abstract

Background: Leisure-time is an important part of young people’s lives. Despite this, leisure-time settings have hitherto had a minor role in setting-based health-promotion initiatives. Improving adolescents’ quality of leisure-time activities can reduce social differences in health. Youth centers can therefore be good settings for promoting health. However, young people with immigrant backgrounds participate less in organized leisure-time activities. The aim of the study is to increase awareness of the importance of young people's leisure-time activities in a health promotion perspective. Further questions like who participate and why, what they gain, and what particular strategies the different youth-centers use in their everyday work will be presented. Methods: In this practice-based longitudinal study data were collected 2012-2014 at two youth-centers in multicultural, socially deprived suburbs using surveys with 12-16 year old adolescents (n=207). Individual interviews with staff (n=7) and focus-groups interviews with adolescents (6 groups, 50 % girls). Moreover individual interviews (n=3) were made with cooperation partners in the neighborhoods. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods were used for analysis. Results: Most of the participants are second generation immigrants. They feel healthy, enjoy school, and feel quite safe in their neighborhoods. They participate in youth-centers to do fun and interesting activities, to see friends as well as to have leaders that care about them. If factors like support from youth-center leaders, influence, gender equality or alcohol and drug rules are important for making adolescents use less alcohol or feel better will also be revealed. Strategies for recruiting youth to youth-centers are central to succeeding. Conclusions: Youth centers can be health-promoting settings when their strategies include some important factors, both in theory and in daily practice. Main messages: Leisure-time activities are underestimated health promoting settings. Youth-centers can be a health-promoting setting.