Recreational Pursuits Research Articles

A Case Study of Recreational Golfers' Interest in the 2008 Ryder Cup

The ryder Cup is the premier team competition in golf and is often described as the third biggest sports event in the world. Despite this, the match has received scant attention from scholars in event management and other associated disciplines. This case study examines recreational golfers' interest in the ryder Cup and attempts to discover what they perceive to be the defining characteristics of the match, in order to develop a better understanding of the positioning of the event. while there has been an increase in research focusing on major sporting events, little work has explored the ryder Cup and less still has looked at the views of recreational participants in a sport. The research identified that respondents generally identified positive characteristics with the match but also found that the ryder Cup was of less interest to them than a range of other major golf and sport events. The limitations of the case study and an outline of further research in this area is also discussed.

Haitian Adolescent Personality Clusters and Their Problem Area Correlates

This study identified personality clusters among a community sample of adolescents of Haitian decent and related cluster subgroup membership to problems in the areas of substance abuse, mental and physical health, family and peer relationships, educational and vocational status, social skills, leisure and recreational pursuits, aggressive behavior-delinquency, and to sexual risk activity. Three cluster subgroups were identified: dependent/conforming (N=68), high pathology (N=30); and confident/extroverted/conforming (N=111). Although the overall sample was relatively healthy based on low average endorsement of problems across areas of expressed concern, significant physical health, mental health, relationship, educational, and HIV risk problems were identified in a MACI identified high psychopathology cluster subgroup. A confident/extraverted/conforming cluster subgroup revealed few problems and appears to reflect a protective style.

Mercury in Nelson's Sparrow Subspecies at Breeding Sites

BackgroundMercury is a persistent, biomagnifying contaminant that can cause negative effects on ecosystems. Marshes are often areas of relatively high mercury methylation and bioaccumulation. Nelson's Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni) use marsh habitats year-round and have been documented to exhibit tissue mercury concentrations that exceed negative effects thresholds. We sought to further characterize the potential risk of Nelson's Sparrows to mercury exposure by sampling individuals from sites within the range of each of its subspecies.Methodology/Principal FindingsFrom 2009 to 2011, we captured adult Nelson's Sparrows at sites within the breeding range of each subspecies (A. n. nelsoni: Grand Forks and Upham, North Dakota; A. n. alterus: Moosonee, Ontario; and A. n. subvirgatus: Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick) and sampled breast feathers, the first primary feather (P1), and blood for total mercury analysis. Mean blood mercury in nelsoni individuals captured near Grand Forks ranged from 0.84±0.37 to 1.65±1.02 SD ppm among years, between 2.0 and 4.9 times as high as concentrations at the other sites (P<0.01). Breast feather mercury did not vary among sites within a given sampling year (site means ranged from 0.98±0.69 to 2.71±2.93 ppm). Mean P1 mercury in alterus (2.96±1.84 ppm fw) was significantly lower than in any other sampled population (5.25±2.24–6.77±3.51 ppm; P≤0.03).Conclusions/SignificanceOur study further characterized mercury in Nelson's Sparrows near Grand Forks; we documented localized and potentially harmful mercury concentrations, indicating that this area may represent a biological mercury hotspot. This finding warrants further research to determine if wildlife populations of conservation or recreational interest in this area may be experiencing negative effects due to mercury exposure. We present preliminary conclusions about the risk of each sampled population to mercury exposure.

Do Single-Joint Exercises Enhance Functional Fitness?

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS TYPICALLY FOCUS ON MULTIJOINT MOVEMENTS. HOWEVER, FUNCTIONAL TRANSFER EXISTS ON A CONTINUUM, WHERE DIFFERENT EXERCISES IMPART VARYING DEGREES OF FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS DEPENDING ON THE PARTICULAR DEMANDS OF THE TASK. THIS ARTICLE WILL DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF SINGLE-JOINT MOVEMENTS IN FUNCTIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGN.

The Barefoot Debate

Running has evolved throughout history from a necessary form of locomotion to an athletic and recreational pursuit. During this transition, our barefoot ancestors developed footwear. By the late 1970s, running popularity surged, and footwear manufacturers developed the running shoe. Despite new shoe technology and expert advice, runners still face high injury rates, which have yet to decline. Recently, "minimalist" running, marked by a soft forefoot strike and shorter, quicker strides, has become increasingly popular within the running community. Biomechanical studies have suggested that these features of barefoot-style running may lead to a reduction in injury rates. After conducting more outcomes-based research, minimalist footwear and gait retraining may serve as new methods to reduce injuries within the running population.

Content validity, reliability, and treatment outcomes of the Buettner assessment of needs, diagnoses, and interests for recreational therapy in long-term care (BANDI-RT)

This three-phase project evaluated the content validity and test-retest reliability of an assessment tool aligned with the specific content areas of the Minimum Data Set 3.0. In phase I, 54 experts examined the content and made several suggestions for improvement of the tool. In phase II, recreational therapy (RT) students and experienced practitioners pilot tested the “Leisure History and Interest” checklist and interview section of the assessment. A total of 10 categories were found pertinent to interviewing residents about their recreational interests. In the final phase, 15 certified therapeutic recreation specialists tested and retested 45 residents and provided time-limited treatment. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the overall assessment was found to be very high at 0.93. Positive outcomes of RT treatment were found across all domains for the majority of residents.

Arboreal Politics in the Knight's Tale

Arboreal Politics in the <i>Knight's Tale</i>

Recreational Use of Acidic Pit Lakes—Human Health Considerations for Post Closure Planning

Pit lakes may form in mining voids that extend below groundwater level after mining ceases and many have been found to have elevated metals concentrations and low pH through acidic and metalliferous drainage (AMD). Pit lakes are often used for recreational activities including swimming, fishing and boating and poor water quality may present health risks to recreational users. Pit lakes also provide the opportunity for additional water resource uses. The Collie Coal Basin in south-western Australia currently has a number of pit lakes with moderate AMD effects which are also used for recreational pursuits. Twelve hundred questionnaires were mailed to selected addresses in the Collie shire with an additional 170 questionnaires to specific interest groups. Participants were asked about the type of activity, frequency and duration and any health symptoms experienced after use of the lakes. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were returned, which comprised 176 returns from the random sample and 74 from the targeted sample. Three pit lakes with elevated metals concentrations and low pH were used for recreational purposes by 62% of respondents. This was mostly in summer with swimming the most common activity. Of all respondents 52% were concerned about lake water quality and 38% using the lakes reported a variety of symptoms. Recreational use of Collie pit lakes did not represent a health risk for most of the surveyed population due to the low frequency and duration of use, however health risks may be elevated in sensitive users such as children and those consuming seafood from the lakes. Comprehensive water quality monitoring for chemicals and further characterisation of recreational use of pit lakes is warranted to more comprehensively assess the potential health risks to recreational users. Post closure mine plans need to consider potential future community uses combined with assessments of water quality and physical characteristics to reduce the potential for adverse health and safety impacts.

Active Ageing among Older Adults with Lifelong Intellectual Disabilities: The Role of Familial and Nonfamilial Social Networks

Little research has examined the extent to which active ageing is facilitated by family and nonfamilial support persons of older adults with intellectual disabilities. This study explores the role played by key unpaid carers/support persons of older adults with lifelong intellectual disabilities in facilitating “active ageing.” All key social network members conceived active ageing to mean ongoing activity. Family and extended family members were found to play a crucial role in facilitating independent living and providing opportunities for recreational pursuits for those living in group homes. Members of religious organizations and group home staff provided the same types of opportunities where family support was absent. The findings suggest the need for improvements in resource provision, staff training, and group home policy and building design.

Investigating interest group representation on the Pacific Fisheries Management Council

A pervasive argument has emerged in debates over US ocean fishery policy that the policy-making process has generally been captured by commercial industry interests and consequently permits fishing quotas beyond sustainable harvesting levels. While it is clear that commercial interests are over-represented relative to recreational interests on the regional councils that set fishery policy, it is not clear whether commercial interests necessarily enact unsustainable policies. This paper examines the vote choices of representatives on the Pacific Fisheries Management Council by creating a spatial map of ideal point locations of voting members during the years 2006–2009 and then identifying voting coalitions. If a dominance by commercial interests leads to unsustainable policies, then it must be the case that members of this interest group vote as a cohesive and distinct bloc. In the end, however, it is shown that a geographic explanation for vote choices outperforms an interest group explanation. ► Vote choices made by members of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council are largely similar within state coalitions. ► Vote choices are largely dissimilar within interest group designations. ► Overall, state-based explanations for vote choices outperform interest group explanations. ► Arguments over reforms to the Regional Fisheries Management Councils must utilize empirical evidence.

Comparison of Injuries Experienced by International Tourists Visiting Australia and Australian Residents

This article compares the epidemiological profile of injury-related hospitalized morbidity of international tourists in New South Wales (NSW) with the hospitalized injury profile of NSW residents. Injury-related hospitalizations were identified from the NSW Admitted Patients Data Collection during 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2009. Injuries were identified using a principal diagnosis code of injury (ie, ICD-10-AM range S00-T98) and the presence of an external cause code (ie, ICD-10-AM range V00-Y98). Overseas tourists were more likely to be hospitalized for an injury following air and water transport, near-drowning, and pedestrian-related injuries. Sport or leisure-related activities were the most common activity conducted at the time of the incident. International tourists are at a higher risk of experiencing injuries particularly following recreational pursuits, while as a pedestrian, in vehicle crashes for older age groups, as a result of interpersonal violence for young males, and following a poisoning or cut/pierce injury for young females. Prevention measures should be undertaken to limit the incidence of injury among international tourists, particularly during active recreational activities and while using the roadways.

Estimating municipal solid waste generation by different activities and various resident groups: A case study of Beijing

Reliable and accurate determinations of the quantities and composition of wastes is required for the planning of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. A model, based on the interrelationships of expenditure on consumer goods, time distribution, daily activities, residents groups, and waste generation, was developed and employed to estimate MSW generation by different activities and resident groups in Beijing. The principle is that MSW is produced by consumption of consumer goods by residents in their daily activities: ‘Maintenance’ (meeting the basic needs of food, housing and personal care), ‘Subsistence’ (providing the financial requirements) and ‘Leisure’ (social and recreational pursuits) activities. Three series of important parameters – waste generation per unit of consumer expenditure, consumer expenditure distribution to activities in unit time, and time assignment to activities by different resident groups – were determined using a statistical analysis, a sampling survey and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, respectively. Data for analysis were obtained from the Beijing Statistical Yearbook (2004–2008) and questionnaire survey. The results reveal that ‘Maintenance’ activity produced the most MSW, distantly followed by ‘Leisure’ and ‘Subsistence’ activities. In 2008, in descending order of MSW generation the different resident groups were floating population, non-civil servants, retired people, civil servants, college students (including both undergraduates and graduates), primary and secondary students, and preschoolers. The new estimation model, which was successful in fitting waste generation by different activities and resident groups over the investigated years, was amenable to MSW prediction.

Getting Out in the Countryside Walking: The Health, Lifestyle, and Recreational Pursuits of URC Ministers

In order to illuminate self-perceptions of health, lifestyle and recreational pursuits, a sample of 58 ministers of word and sacrament serving on the West Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church completed an open-ended questionnaire concerned with the following six themes: medical record, home life, holiday entitlement, leisure time, exercise, and strategies for keeping healthy. Content analysis of their replies described a group of challenged professional people, showing high levels of contact with their GPs, who found themselves constrained from taking full use of their holiday entitlement and impeded from taking proper opportunities for exercise and recreation by two matters: pressure of work and lack of finance. In this situation several drew attention to the importance of getting out in the countryside walking as a key resource for keeping healthy amid the pressures of ministry and personal life. Some practical recommendations are offered regarding ways in which rural churches could help to support ministers by enabling them to benefit more readily from spending periods of refreshment in the countryside.

Sport and recreation participation preferences in the Botswana Defence Force

Sport and recreation are used as vehicles to create military readiness. Botswana Defence Force (BDF) soldiers are constantly deployed to border posts and other areas where their missions involve anti-poaching activities, disaster management and foreign peace-keeping. When not deployed, they reside with their families in military barracks where they participate in sport and recreation activities. Sport and recreation are pracitised in military settings in residential and occupational capacity. Literature suggests that participation in sport and recreation in military settings is mainly focused on promoting and maintaining military efficiency and morale. This study aimed at determining the preferences of sports and recreation activities of military staff. This study utilised a survey design using self-administered questionnaires to determine participation in and preferences of sport and recreation activities within the BDF. Using a convenient sampling technique and eight hundred and fifty seven (857) respondents participated in the study. The results of this study indicated that participants preferred individual as well as team sport and recreation activities. The five most preferred activities were soccer (47.1%), running (33.6%), shooting (29.7%), volleyball (24.6%) and obstacle training (21.2%). This study emphasizes that individual activities were preferred and a change in preferences regarding participation in team sport and recreation activities was observed. This information is valuable to the management of sport and recreation at the BDF regarding sports and recreation interests of the soldiers and their families.Keywords: Military sport and recreation preferences, military sport and recreation patterns, military readiness, sport and recreation activities, Botswana Defence Force.

Modeling the spatial and temporal dimensions of recreational activity participation with a focus on physical activities

This study presents a unified framework to understand the weekday recreational activity participation time-use of adults, with an emphasis on the time expended in physically active recreation pursuits by location and by time-of-day. Such an analysis is important for a better understanding of how individuals incorporate physical activity into their daily activities on a typical weekday, and can inform the development of effective policy interventions to facilitate physical activity. Furthermore, such a study of participation and time use in recreational activity episodes contributes to activity-based travel demand modeling, since recreational activity participation comprises a substantial share of individuals’ total non-work activity participation. The methodology employed here is the multiple discrete continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model, which provides a unified framework to explicitly and endogenously examine time use by type, location, and timing. The data for the empirical analysis is drawn from the 2000 Bay Area Travel Survey (BATS), supplemented with other secondary sources that provide information on physical environment variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study to jointly address the issues of ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how much’ individuals choose to participate in ‘what type of (recreational) activity’.

Do breast cancer survivors' post-surgery difficulties with recreational activities persist over time?

Most longitudinal breast cancer studies have found that treatment-related sequelae such as arm morbidity [lymphedema, pain, and range of motion (ROM) restrictions] can have a significant impact on quality of life. In a previous study, we found that at 6-12 months after breast cancer surgery, 49% of participants had difficulties engaging in recreational activities and that arm morbidity significantly predicted difficulties with participation in recreation. A longitudinal national study employing clinical assessments and survey methods followed 178 women over 43 months (3.6 years) to assess issues related to arm morbidity post-breast cancer surgery. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify which variables were predictive of recreational difficulties experienced by women 8 and 43 months post-surgery. Between 8 months (T1) and 43 months (T2) post-breast cancer surgery, women demonstrated slight increases in lymphedema. Conversely, a significant decrease was observed in the number of ROM restrictions and pain when using the arm. Despite the overall improvements in arm morbidity, some women continued to report moderate pain and ROM restrictions. The two arm morbidity factors were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001) predictors of recreational difficulties at both 8 and 43 months post-surgery, with pain accounting for the greatest proportion of variance. Pain and ROM restrictions were the only significant predictors of recreational difficulties during the first 3.6 years after breast cancer surgery. Specifically, women who still experience pain years after breast cancer surgery report difficulties in their recreational pursuits. Pain and ROM restrictions may prohibit participation in recreational activity and targeted intervention should be sought.

Community-based social and recreational programs for older adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities: Perceptions of barriers and accommodations to access

The purpose of this study was to generate an initial understanding of the types of supports or accommodations needed, as well as the barriers or challenges present when attempting to provide publicly funded, community-based social and recreational services for older adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). Survey research was used to investigate the perceptions of case managers and recreation program providers within Health Planning Region IV in the Commonwealth of Virginia, regarding their views on the necessary supports and potential barriers encountered when older persons with I/DD attempt to access these types of programs and services. Findings suggest that both case managers and providers of recreation services perceive the following to be primary needs in providing community-based social and recreational programs for this population: recreational programs specifically designed to meet the needs of older adults with I/DD; transportation, particularly evenings and weekends; and staff adequately cross-trained in aging, disability, and recreation. Both sets of respondents shared the perception that most staff are not adequately trained in the provision of recreational services. Transportation, available during weekends and evenings when many people are engaged in recreational pursuits, is a critical support need. The promotion of purposeful recreation programming, designed with needs and desires of all older adults in mind and staffed by highly qualified recreation professionals, such as certified therapeutic recreation specialists, could go far in ensuring that these services contribute to personal growth, meaningful involvement, and quality of life.

Content validity, reliability, and treatment outcomes of the Buettner assessment of needs, diagnoses, and interests for recreational therapy in long-term care (BANDI-RT)

This three-phase project evaluated the content validity and test-retest reliability of an assessment tool aligned with the specific content areas of the Minimum Data Set 3.0. In phase I, 54 experts examined the content and made several suggestions for improvement of the tool. In phase II, recreational therapy (RT) students and experienced practitioners pilot tested the “Leisure History and Interest” checklist and interview section of the assessment. A total of 10 categories were found pertinent to interviewing residents about their recreational interests. In the final phase, 15 certified therapeutic recreation specialists tested and retested 45 residents and provided time-limited treatment. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the overall assessment was found to be very high at 0.93. Positive outcomes of RT treatment were found across all domains for the majority of residents.

Outdoor recreation and gendered space: the case of men's enthusiasms for hunting, fly-fishing and scuba diving

The purpose of this paper is to explore complexities associated with determining gendered recreational spaces in the context of ‘masculine’ outdoor recreational pursuits, using results from two data sets collected in New South Wales, Australia and North Canterbury, New Zealand, 2006–2008. The first data set is based on face-to-face interviews with 26 male recreational hunters, fly-fishers and scuba divers in Sydney and Christchurch. The second is based on a postal survey of North Canterbury recreational deer hunters and ‘Fish and Game’ licence holders. The results confirm that recreational hunting, fly-fishing and non-touristic scuba diving are distinctly ‘gendered’ activities but the ways in which these are linked to gendered space are complex. The activities may be spatially segregated, occurring in rural and often remote locations, but resourcing these activities mostly takes place in domestic settings, i.e. the home, which commonly involve shared spaces. While a number of methodological cautions regarding the two data sets are acknowledged, this study adds to the limited New Zealand literature on outdoor recreation as gendered space and to wider literature on the importance of acknowledging the social contexts, and hence shared spaces, within which ‘individual’ recreational choices are made.

The strength and weight of evidence in backcountry avalanche forecasting

In North America and Europe, most fatalities due to snow avalanches occur in the backcountry during recreational pursuits. Of these, more than 90% of the fatal avalanches are triggered by the victims themselves. This pattern suggests that the primary cause of avalanche fatalities for human-triggered avalanches is a failure in human perception. For the latter, people thought that the state of stability or instability of the snow cover was different than it actually was. In this paper, the strength and weight of evidence used to make decisions in backcountry travel are discussed from: (a) the perspective of the favored hypothesis to proceed for good recreational enjoyment based on stability evaluation and (b) the null hypothesis based on an assessment of instability. Based on the facts about snow slab avalanche release, it is argued that instability analysis is the best framework for avalanche forecasting, whereas human action is most closely related to the favored hypothesis (stability evaluation). Using scaling laws derived from: (a) fracture mechanics about the size of imperfections causing avalanches and (b) avalanche dimensions, it is suggested that a snow slab could show stability over more than 99% of the total area. From the concepts of Bayesian probability, it is shown that overconfidence about stability can arise when the weight of the likelihood is high and the weight of prior is low. Similarly, underconfidence (excessive conservatism) often results when the weight of the prior is high with little regard for the likelihood, which may be low. Overconfidence about stability is considered to be a prime source of accidents.