Leisure-time Activity Research Articles

Optimization Of Behavioral Interventions For Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: The HEALTH4CLL Study

PURPOSE: Given the benefits of exercise for cancer survivors, scalable exercise intervention strategies are needed to help survivors be more active. This study used Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) to test behavior change strategies of an evidence-based diet and exercise intervention for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), examining the effects on physical activity (PA) participation, self-efficacy and social support for exercise, and quality of life (QOL). METHODS: The HEALH4CLL study provided a Fitbit and 16 weekly educational materials about exercise, diet, and weight management. Patients with CLL were randomly assigned to 1 of 16 combinations of behavioral change strategies: email vs. telephone coaching; text message reminder vs. none; resistance plus aerobic exercise vs. aerobic exercise alone; and daily vs. weekly self-monitoring. Patients’ Godin Leisure Time Activity Questionnaire, PROMIS physical and mental health, Exercise Self-efficacy, and Sallis’ Social Support for Exercise were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Effectiveness of intervention components on PA, QOL, exercise self-efficacy, and social support for exercise from family and friends among patients with CLL were examined using paired t-tests and factorial analysis of variance. RESULTS: 31 patients were completed the intervention (mean age 63 yrs; 57% female; 89% white). We observed significant increases in PA scores (+14.5, t = 4.46, p < .001), physical health t-scores (+2.3, t = 2.45, p = .020), and family social support sum of scores (+4.1, t = 3.33, p = .002) in all patients after the intervention. According to factorial analysis, combined resistance and aerobic exercise with daily self-monitoring was effective for improvement of PA scores (+16.0, t = 2.18, p = .042) and physical health related to QOL t-scores (+4.4, t = 2.34, p = .030). Social support for exercise from friends score was affected by daily self-monitoring (+4.2, t = 2.47, p = .024) and email coaching with text reminder (+4.3, t = 2.47, p = .024). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that combination of resistance and aerobic exercise, daily self-monitoring, email coaching, and text message reminders were effective for increases in PA, physical health related QOL, and social support from friends.

Guidelines for physical activity in children with heart disease.

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of children with heart disease in our country. These children belong to different age groups and have untreated, partially treated, or completely treated heart disease. The role of physical activity for optimal physical, emotional, and psychosocial well-being for children is well understood. There is a challenge for the parents and the medical professionals to take a decision regarding the type of physical activity safe for the child as heart disease may affect the hemodynamic demands. Most of the existing international guidelines focus on competitive sports in operated heart disease children. This may be of limited use when we have a mixed population of children with heart disease, different types of sports in our country and where a larger subset is looking for recommendations to leisure time activities. The Pediatric Cardiac Society of India decided to formulate recommendations for physical activity in children with heart diseases. A committee of experts, who were well-versed with the subject of physical activity in children with heart disease, volunteered to take up the task of writing the guidelines. The recommendations emerged following deliberations of the committee members, on the virtual platform as well as mails. The final version of manuscript was approved by all committee members and all members are co-authors of this manuscript. The different types of physical activities were defined including leisure sports and competitive sports. The exercise was classified based on the mechanical action of muscles involved into dynamic and static components. Each type of exercise was then classified based on the intensity into low, medium, and high. Recommendations for the type of physical activity for individual heart lesions were decided based on the rationale available. The recommendations here are made with an intention to provide general guidelines for physical activity in children with operated and unoperated heart diseases, not excluding a need for individualizing a plan, serial assessment, and comprehensive checkup in special situations. We hope the recommendations mentioned below would provide basic clarity in planning physical activity in children with heart disease. This is with the hope to encourage physically active life, at the same time ensuring a safety net.

Leisure-Time Activities in Different Contexts and Depressive Symptoms in Norwegian Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physical activity organised in sports clubs, non-organised physical activity, other organised leisure-time activities, and depressive symptoms among adolescents. This study was based on cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey conducted between 2017 and 2019. The sample comprised 7656 adolescents (aged 13–16 years). Binominal logistic regression was used to analyse the association between the three different leisure-time activities and depressive symptoms. All models were adjusted for gender, family economy, parents’ higher education, having friends, alcohol intoxication, and smoking. The odds for symptoms of depression were higher for those who were less physically active in a sports club (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.15–1.57) and in non-organised physical activities (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.29–1.74) and lower for those who participated less in other organised leisure-time activities (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68–0.92) compared with those who were physically active (sports club and non-organised) and those who participated in other organised leisure-time activities. Our findings suggested that being physically active, both in a sports club and in non-organised activities, was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms among adolescents. Additional research is needed to confirm a possible causal relationship.

O3-4 Progress on addressing the cornerstones of physical activity policy for children and youth in England

BackgroundThere has been an increasing focus on the importance of national policy to address population levels of physical inactivity. It has been suggested that the four ?cornerstones' of policy comprise: 1) national guidelines on physical activity levels; 2) setting population goals and targets; 3) surveillance or health monitoring systems; and 4) public education. The aim of the current paper was to analyse the policy actions which have addressed each of these elements for children and youth in England and to identify areas of progress and remaining challenges.MethodsA literature search was undertaken to identify past and present documents relevant to physical activity policy for children and youth in England. Each document was analysed to identify content relevant to the four ?cornerstones' of policy.ResultsPhysical activity guidelines for children and youth have been in place since 1998 and reviewed periodically to ensure they reflect the latest scientific evidence. The setting of physical activity targets has focused on the provision of opportunities for physical activity, particularly through physical education (PE) in schools, rather than in relation to the proportion of children meeting recommended physical activity levels. There has been much surveillance of children's physical activity but this has been undertaken infrequently over time, by a wide range of organisations, and with varying inclusion of different domains of activity such as school PE, leisure time activity and active travel. There has only been one campaign in England targeted at children and their intermediaries (Change4Life), which was an obesity campaign focussing on dietary behaviour in combination with physical activity. Most recently an infographic supporting the physical activity guidelines for children and young people was developed, but details of its dissemination and usage are unknown.ConclusionsThere have been many developments in physical activity policy in England targeted at children and youth. The area of greatest progress is national physical activity guidelines. Establishing prevalence targets, streamlining surveillance systems, and investing in public education would strengthen national policy efforts to reduce physical inactivity.

P01-02 Can leisure time physical activity moderate the impact of occupational physical activity on sickness absence?

IntroductionPhysical activity (PA) as health promotion tool is not one without adverse effects and adolescents with nonfatal physical activity-related injuries (PARI) may experience serious health consequences for the rest of their lives.PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the associations between physical activity-related injuries in adolescents in various settings and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, medically attended injuries, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition.MethodsAs a part of the pilot study of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study conducted in October and November 2021 in Slovakia, we surveyed 119 adolescents (53 girls; average age 12,6±2,0) for frequency ofmoderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), frequency of medically attended injuries (MAI), frequencies of physical activity-related injuries in sports clubs (PARISC), physical activity-related injuries in leisure-time (PARILT) and physical activity-related injuries in schools (PARIS) and we measured their cardiorespiratory fitness (using 20-metre shuttle run) and their body composition (using InBody 230).ResultsOut of 119 adolescents, 50 (42%) were attending sports clubs of which 27 (54%) had one or more PARI in sports clubs' activities in previous year, 50 adolescents (42%) had PARI in leisure activities and 15 (12,6%) in school activities. PARISC led to an average of 10 missed days from school or leisure-time activities. PARILT led to 7,2 missed days and PARIS led to 6,2 missed days. Spearman's correlations (n = 50 for PARISC and n = 119 for PARILT and PARIS) revealed associations between MAI and PARISC, PARILT and PARIS, but not between MVPA or 20-metre shuttle run laps and PARISC, PARILT and PARIS. Not surprisingly, percentage of body fat was negatively associated with the number of 20-metre shuttle run laps. In addition, results of crude linear regression models showed that frequency of MVPA was not associated with frequencies of PARISC (B coefficients (B)/95% CI: 0,03/-0,11-0,18), PARILT (B/95% CI: 0,04/-0,05-0,13) or PARIS (B/95% CI: -0,02/-0,07-0,02) among Slovak adolescents in our pilot study.ConclusionsEstimating the burden of PARI is important in advocating the need of directing sufficient resources to PARI prevention along with the PA promotion. Improvement and understanding of factors associated with PARI might be helpful in PARI prevention. In addition, it might, among other factors, play a role in promotion of active lifestyle in adolescence.

P05-09 Associations of the physical activity-related injuries with selected variables in adolescents - results of the pilot study

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) as health promotion tool is not one without adverse effects and adolescents with nonfatal physical activity-related injuries (PARI) may experience serious health consequences for the rest of their lives.MethodsAs a part of the pilot study of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study conducted in October and November 2021 in Slovakia, we surveyed 119 adolescents (53 girls; average age 12,6±2,0) for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), medically attended injuries (MAI), physical activity-related injuries in sports clubs (PARISC), physical activity-related injuries in leisure-time (PARILT) and physical activity-related injuries in schools (PARIS) and we measured their cardiorespiratory fitness (using 20-metre shuttle run) and their body composition (using InBody 230).ResultsOut of 119 adolescents, 50 (42%) were attending sports clubs of which 27 (54%) had one or more PARI in sports clubs' activities in previous year, 50 adolescents (42%) had PARI in leisure activities and 15 (12,6%) in school activities. PARISC led to an average of 10 missed days from school or leisure-time activities. PARILT led to 7,2 missed days and PARIS led to 6,2 missed days. Spearman's correlations (n = 50 for PARISC and n = 119 for PARILT and PARIS) revealed associations between MAI and PARISC, PARILT and PARIS, but not between MVPA or 20-metre shuttle run laps and PARISC, PARILT and PARIS. Not surprisingly, percentage of body fat was negatively associated with the number of 20-metre shuttle run laps. In addition, results of crude linear regression models showed that frequency of MVPA was not associated with frequencies of PARISC (B coefficients (B)/95% CI: 0,03/-0,11-0,18), PARILT (B/95% CI: 0,04/-0,05-0,13) or PARIS (B/95% CI: -0,02/-0,07-0,02) among Slovak adolescents in our pilot study.ConclusionsEstimating the burden of PARI is important in advocating the need of directing sufficient resources to PARI prevention along with the PA promotion. Improvement and understanding of factors associated with PARI might be helpful in PARI prevention. In addition, it might, among other factors, play a role in promotion of active lifestyle in adolescence.

Association of Leisure Time Physical Activity Types and Risks of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality Among Older Adults

Higher amounts of physical activity are associated with increased longevity. However, whether different leisure time physical activity types are differentially associated with mortality risk is not established. To examine whether participation in equivalent amounts of physical activity (7.5 to <15 metabolic equivalent of task [MET] hours per week) through different activity types is associated with mortality risk and to investigate the shape of the dose-response association. Participants in this cohort were respondents from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study who completed the follow-up questionnaire between 2004 and 2005. This questionnaire collected data on weekly durations of different types of physical activities. Mortality was ascertained through December 31, 2019. MET hours per week spent participating in the following activities: running, cycling, swimming, other aerobic exercise, racquet sports, golf, and walking for exercise. All-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Separate multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of mortality for each of the 7 types of leisure time physical activities, as well as the sum of these activities. A total of 272 550 participants (157 415 men [58%]; mean [SD] age at baseline, 70.5 [5.4] years [range, 59-82 years]) provided information on types of leisure time activity, and 118 153 (43%) died during a mean (SD) follow-up of 12.4 (3.9) years. In comparison with those who did not participate in each activity, 7.5 to less than 15 MET hours per week of racquet sports (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75-0.93) and running (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.92) were associated with the greatest relative risk reductions for all-cause mortality, followed by walking for exercise (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.89-0.93), other aerobic activity (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.95), golf (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.97), swimming (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), and cycling (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99). Each activity showed a curvilinear dose-response association with mortality risk; low MET hours per week of physical activity for any given activity type were associated with a large reduction in mortality risk, with diminishing returns for each increment in activity thereafter. Associations were similar for cardiovascular and cancer mortality. This cohort study of older individuals found differences between different types of leisure time activities and mortality risk, but there were significant associations between participating in 7.5 to less than 15 MET hours per week of any activity and mortality risk.

Physical activity in leisure time and at work and risk of dementia: A prospective cohort study of 117,616 individuals

Background and aimsUp to 40% of all dementia cases may be preventable, primarily by treating or acting on well-established cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and physical inactivity. Whether physical inactivity is associated with risk of non-Alzheimer's dementia – a disease influenced by cardiovascular risk factors – and whether a given association differs for physical activity in leisure time and at work remains unknown. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study including 117,616 individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study with up to 43 years of follow-up. ResultsMultifactorially adjusted hazard ratios for low versus high physical activity at leisure time was 1.60 (95% confidence interval 1.40–1.83) for non-Alzheimer's dementia and 0.94 (0.80–1.11) for Alzheimer's disease. Corresponding values for non-Alzheimer's dementia after additional adjustment for physical activity at work or apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype were 1.60 (1.40–1.83) and 1.82 (1.34–2.15). Multifactorially and APOE adjusted hazard ratios for high versus low physical activity at work were 1.50 (1.10–2.05) for non-Alzheimer's dementia and 1.62 (1.14–2.31) for Alzheimer's disease. When combining the two types of physical activity, physical activity in leisure time had the strongest relationship with risk of non-Alzheimer's dementia. ConclusionsPhysical inactivity in leisure time was associated with increased risk of non-Alzheimer's dementia, independent of modifiable risk factors and physical activity at work. The present study thus provides evidence for public health advice on physical activity in leisure time for the vascular part of dementia.

Cross-Sectional Associations between Playing Sports or Electronic Games in Leisure Time and Life Satisfaction in 12-Year-Old Children from the European Union.

Leisure time activities in childhood may have a crucial role in the development of subjective well-being. Nevertheless, more research is needed with cross-national samples concerning the differential effects of lifestyles on life satisfaction. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the associations between the frequency of playing sports/exercise or playing electronic games on life satisfaction in a sample of 12-year-old children from nine countries from the European Union. The data used in this publication come from the third wave of the Children’s Worlds project, an international survey of children’s lives and well-being whose administration started in 2017. The sample was composed of 10,626 children (50.9% boys) from Estonia, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, and Spain. They completed the Student Life Satisfaction Scale and answered two questions to assess the frequency of playing sport or exercise, and the frequency of playing electronic games. The results indicated notable scores in life satisfaction in all participating countries. The results showed some differences between boys and girls, and among the countries, in the frequency of sport practice and electronic games in the leisure time, as well as in the overall level of life satisfaction. The results also underlined that sport practice had a greater positive effect on life satisfaction than the use of electronic games. Thus, this study highlights the need to design programs to promote sport practice in leisure time for 12-year-old children in Europe, in order to protect their subjective well-being.

The mental health burden of racial and ethnic minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Racial/ethnic minorities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The effects of COVID-19 on the long-term mental health of minorities remains unclear. To evaluate differences in odds of screening positive for depression and anxiety among various racial and ethnic groups during the latter phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of 691,473 participants nested within the prospective smartphone-based COVID Symptom Study in the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (U.K). from February 23, 2021 to June 9, 2021. In the U.S. (n=57,187), compared to White participants, the multivariable odds ratios (ORs) for screening positive for depression were 1·16 (95% CI: 1·02 to 1·31) for Black, 1·23 (1·11 to 1·36) for Hispanic, and 1·15 (1·02 to 1·30) for Asian participants, and 1·34 (1·13 to 1·59) for participants reporting more than one race/other even after accounting for personal factors such as prior history of a mental health disorder, COVID-19 infection status, and surrounding lockdown stringency. Rates of screening positive for anxiety were comparable. In the U.K. (n=643,286), racial/ethnic minorities had similarly elevated rates of positive screening for depression and anxiety. These disparities were not fully explained by changes in leisure time activities. Racial/ethnic minorities bore a disproportionate mental health burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. These differences will need to be considered as health care systems transition from prioritizing infection control to mitigating long-term consequences.

Effects of a Home-Based Exercise Program on Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Fitness in Dementia Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Regular exercise can be an effective health-promotion strategy to improve the physical and mental health of informal caregivers. A randomized controlled trial study was designed to evaluate the effects of a 9-month home-based exercise intervention on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical fitness in female family caregivers of persons with dementia. Fifty-four female caregivers were randomly assigned to two groups for the 9-month study period. Participants of the intervention group (n = 25) performed two 60-min exercise sessions per week at home, under the direct supervision of a personal trainer. Participants in the control group (n = 23) continued their habitual leisure-time activities. HRQoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, and physical fitness was measured using a battery of appropriate fitness tests. After 9 months, significant improvements were observed in general health, social function, vitality, hand and leg strength, trunk flexor and extensor endurance, and aerobic endurance in the intervention group. The present intervention was highly adherent and safe for the participants, with no dropout related to the intervention. As a home-based exercise program conducted by a personal trainer face to face, it can be considered as a feasible and appropriate method to improve the most deficient HRQoL dimensions and contribute to preserving the functional capacity of female family caregivers of persons with dementia.

Associations of specific types of physical activities with 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease among adults: Data from the national health and nutrition examination survey 1999–2006

BackgroundPhysical activity plays a key role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, previous studies focused predominantly on the associations of the total amount of physical activity with CVD. There were few evidences on the associations of specific sport disciplines with CVD. Furthermore, little was known on the interactions between the different types of sports on CVD risk. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the independent associations of specific types of physical activities with the 10-year risk of CVD, and further evaluate the interactions between specific types of physical activities on the 10-year risk of CVD in US adults.MethodsThis study used the data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006. Participants aged ≥ 30 years and with free of CVD were eligible. The physical activity questionnaire is used to collect general information on leisure-time activities in the past 30 days, including the frequency, duration, and intensity of participation in each activity. The exposures of interest included cycling, swimming, aerobics, running, American Football, basketball, and racquet sports. The Framingham risk score algorithm was used to assess 10-year CVD risk based on age, high density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes. A higher total score reflects a greater risk of CVD.ResultsThis study included 10829 participants. Compared to no participation, participation in cycling (β = −0.890, 95% CI:−1.278,−0.502, P < 0.001), running (β = −1.466, 95% CI:−1.837,−1.095, P < 0.001), American Football (β = −2.934, 95% CI:−3.750,−2.119, P < 0.001), basketball (β = −1.968, 95% CI:−2.645,−1.291, P < 0.001), and aerobics (β = −0.980, 95% CI:−1.352,−0.608, P < 0.001) was associated with a lower CVD risk. Furthermore, cycling was antagonistic with basketball and racquet sports in the associations with CVD risk. An antagonistic action between swimming and aerobics was also observed. Nevertheless, running was synergistic with cycling, aerobics, and racquet sports in the associations with CVD risk.ConclusionsThere were inverse associations of specific types of physical activities with CVD risk. Furthermore, there might be synergistic and antagonistic associations of multiple types of physical activities with CVD risk.

The impact of urban park accessibility in cold regions on leisure-time physical activity levels of older adults during the winter

Given the situation of public health and population aging, studying the impact of park accessibility on the level of leisure-time physical activity of older adults (60 years and older) in cold regions is of great significance. Public parks in Harbin, China are often frequented by older adults. Furthermore, insufficient activity levels have an impact on health. This study mainly analyzed the accessibility of six parks and quantified the activity profile of older adults in winter. We obtained data through a field investigation on the activity levels of older adults, analyzed the accessibility of parks using the ARCGIS spatial analysis tool and network analysis, and studied the relationship between accessibility and levels of physical leisure activities of older adults with the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results indicated that: 1) The distribution of parks across the region was unbalanced, and overall accessibility via walking was poor; 2) In winter, the proportion of medium- and high-level leisure-time physical activities was 91.3%, and the walking travel rate was 80.65%. Walking was the main travel mode of older adults; 3) Five minutes of walking promoted the occurrence of high-level leisure-time physical activity (with a correlation coefficient 0.244 *). There was no significant relationship between motor vehicles (buses) and high-level activity. Walking had an effect on the level of leisure-time physical activity of older adults. Improving walking accessibility could improve the leisure-time activity levels of older adults in winter. According to the research results, we propose measures to improve walking accessibility to increase leisure-time activity levels in older adults.

Assessment of Physical Well-Being and Leisure Time of Polish Students during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

This project aims to recognize the school experiences of Polish students during the COVID-19 outbreak; we focused on the area of assessment of physical well-being and leisure time. Nearly two thousand primary or secondary school students aged 9 to 20 participated in the survey. Running descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, and significant difference tests, we found that 45% of students thought their physical well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak worsened compared to pre-pandemic times. Boys declared they felt better in their physical well-being than girls (p < 0.001). Most students noticed changes in the quality of their leisure time activities; boys were happier than girls in their free time during the outbreak (p < 0.001). Learners’ ages also differentiated the assessment of their physical well-being (p < 0.001) and leisure time (p < 0.001). The youngest students more often assessed their experiences in the researched fields as good or increased, while the older groups more often noticed a decrease. Multinomial logistic regression proved that the differences in the assessments of physical well-being and leisure time could be explained to the greatest extent by age and gender, whereas the place of residence and school location were insignificant. All in all, our study confirms the dominance of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical well-being and changes in leisure time. As such, it is advisable (during and after outbreaks) to support children and adolescents by targeting individual and institution levels. We recommend developing techniques to reduce stress and information overload, increasing creative ways of spending leisure time, supporting families in navigating children’s free time, and expanding social support networks.

What If Leisure Time Activities Were a Solution for Athletes' Long-Term Development and Health?

OPINION article Front. Psychol., 06 July 2022Sec. Movement Science and Sport Psychology Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.926419

Evaluation of outdoor recreation potential of destinations in terms of paragliding: the case of Konya

Researches made in the field of recreation in recent years show that participation in paragliding activities is increasing each passing day. By virtue of paragliding, both participants and destinations obtain very important material and spiritual gains. The purpose of this research is to reveal the potential of paragliding, which is an outdoor recreation activity, in Konya in the direction of statements made by the participants (instructor, pilot, and customer) who are actively interested in this activity. The research demonstrates the leisure time activities of the participants, their reasons for participating in paragliding, and the potential of Konya for paragliding activity. The maximum diversity sampling method was used during the determination of the study group in this study, which was carried out according to the case pattern. The working group consists of 19 people, 7 pilots, 6 customers, and 6 instructors. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. The explanations obtained from the participants in the research, were analyzed using the open and axial coding approach. Inductive descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques were used in the process of interpreting the data. As a result of the analyses, three themes were determined as leisure time forms, reasons for participating in paragliding and the paragliding potential of Konya. The results show that cultural and outdoor recreation activities are preferred more as leisure time activities, the desire for happiness and socialization is the most efficient preference of individuals, and Konya has extremely suitable areas for these activities, especially due to its geological structure.

Leisure Time Activities of Students with Special Needs on Social Media

Leisure Time Activities of Students with Special Needs on Social Media

Interrelations between Sport and Leisure Activities among High School Students

Research on the education, upbringing and habits of high school students is extremely varied and diversified across all areas of education. In our case, we would like to investigate students’ sporting and leisure habits, as several studies have found possible breakpoints in students’ lifestyles during this period, which is particularly true for sporting habits. Our research focuses on the leisure habits of students learning in Nyíregyháza and Debrecen. We were looking for answers to the following questions: What is the most common form of leisure time activity among the students investigated? and, what social and sport-related variables are associated with differences in leisure time use? We conducted a questionnaire survey in secondary schools in the two cities (N=450) to answer our questions. The analyses showed that screentime activities continue to play a dominant role in the leisure time of the age group studied, followed only by activities that can be linked to active leisure.

Parental report of quality of life in autistic children and youths: the role of parents’ (informal) social support, and children’s active leisure time

Research examining the quality of life (QoL) in children with autism in relation to leisure behavior is extremely rare. An online survey of parents (N = 282) was conducted to help to fill this gap. Using structural equation model (SEM), the association between the parents’ (informal) social support and children’s QoL (reported by parents) was examined. In this, parental behavior, children’s active leisure time, children’s TV consumption, as well as children’s self-worth (reported by the parents) were integrated. Findings suggested that the parents’ (informal) social support, children’s active leisure, and self-worth have a positive effect on children’s QoL. Implications of the results are discussed.

Pediatric spinal cord injury rehabilitation: A protocol for an international multicenter project (SINpedSCI)

PURPOSE:Children and adolescents (<18 years old) who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI) should ideally be managed in specialized rehabilitation services. This project aims to describe the organization of pediatric SCI in ten rehabilitation units in seven countries and to qualitatively explore psychosocial aspects of adolescents living with SCI.METHODS:A multicenter cross-sectional project is planned, using quantitative (web survey) and qualitative (interview) methods in ten rehabilitation units from Norway, Sweden, United States, Israel, PR China, Russia and Palestine. Individual interviews will be conducted with ≥20 adolescents aged 13–17 years at least 6 months’ post rehabilitation.RESULTS:Units involved will be described and compared, according to funding, attachment to an acute SCI unit, catchment area, number of beds, admittance and discharge procedures, availability of services, staff/patient ratio, content and intensity of rehabilitation programs, length of stay, measurement methods, follow-up services, health promotion services, and pediatric SCI prevention acts. The semi-structured interview guide will include experiences from acute care and primary rehabilitation, daily life, school, contact with friends, leisure time activities, peers, physical and psychological health, and the adolescents’ plans for the future.CONCLUSION:Based on the present protocol, this project is likely to provide new insight and knowledge on pediatric SCI rehabilitation and increase the understanding of pediatric SCI in adolescents and their families internationally.