The Effect of College Students' Participation in Leisure Activities on Their Stress Levels and Life Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: It is only to be expected that college students would experience various stressful situations during theCOVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of indoor leisure activities provided to col lege students on their stress levels and life satisfaction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This studywas designed as a randomized controlled trial study. The subjects were university students aged 18 years or older, with25 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. The experimental intervention was a 4-week indoor leisureactivity program. The research instruments used were the perceived stress scale and the Affetometer II questionnaire. Theexperimental treatment period was from April to May 2020. The data analysis methods used were frequency, percentage,mean, standard deviation, Pearson chi-square test or Fisher s exact test, and the Independent t-test. Results: The ex perimental group that participated in the indoor leisure activities had a reduced post-stress level compared to thepre-experiment group. However, there was no difference observed in the life satisfaction scores. Conclusion: In the con text of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to develop and implement various leisure activity programs to reduce thestress experienced by college students. In the future, along with a study to develop a leisure activity program to reducestress among college students, we suggest conducting a further study to evaluate its effects for a 4 weeks or more.