The effects of leisure education on leisure attitudes, perceived leisure control, and barriers to leisure in Chinese older adult immigrants in the United States

Abstract

The importance of leisure and its benefits have been studied and promoted in the West for a long time. To have leisure and to be free from labor is what was historically meant as living life on one’s own terms in Western society. However, leisure is perceived and acted upon differently in the Chinese culture. For the Chinese, the concept, values, and activity type of leisure are heavily influenced by their traditional culture. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that leisure education has on attitudes toward leisure, perceived leisure control, and barriers to leisure experiences in Chinese older adult immigrants in the United States. The results show that there were significant changes in the Affective and the Overall Leisure Attitude Measurement mean scores, as well as the perception of barriers to leisure after participating in a six-week leisure education program among Chinese older adult immigrants.