Recreation Programs Research Articles

Digitally acquired recreational computer programming activity and its association with bipolar disorder mood episodes.

Digitally acquired recreational computer programming activity and its association with bipolar disorder mood episodes.

Are certain types of leisure activities associated with happiness and life satisfaction among college students?

ABSTRACT It is well-documented that participation in leisure activities plays an essential role in coping with stress and improving health. However, we know less about what types of leisure activities are more relevant to life satisfaction and happiness among college students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how various leisure activities relate to happiness and life satisfaction among college students. Data were collected using a sample of 266 in Indiana, United States. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicate that certain types of activities (i.e. outdoor, sports, social, cultural and civic activities) were particularly associated with life satisfaction and happiness. In this regard, this study confirmed that the relationships of leisure activity with life satisfaction and happiness vary across leisure activity types. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of providing a variety of campus recreational programmes and cultural and social events to foster and sustain adequate physical activity, which will lead to improved life satisfaction and happiness.

Evaluating Participant Experience Journeys: Peak-End Moments, Global Summaries, Dispersion, and Pattern

Substantial gains have been made in recent years toward understanding techniques for immersing participants in recreation activities. Immersed participants “become physically (or virtually) a part of the experience itself” (Pine & Gilmore, 2020, p. 40); their actions merge with their awareness (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975). As competition in the leisure and travel industries intensifies, managers and program evaluators will need efficient approaches to measure the ebbs and flows of participants’ immersion during participation. The latest research suggests it is not sufficient to use a single number to represent the entire flow of immersion during an activity. Rather, measures of salient features of participants’ “experience journeys” may be needed. Experience journey measurement requires measuring participants’ immersion repeatedly, at successive intervals as an activity unfolds. We developed an efficient way of measuring immersion experience journeys and examined relations between select experience journey characteristics (central tendency, dispersion, and pattern) and two outcomes ordinarily valued by park and recreation managers: enjoyment and proclivity to recommend the activity to other people. We collected experience observations (n=1,189) from 150 youth in a summer camp, who completed questionnaires immediately following each of eight structured activity sessions: swimming, climbing, archery, riflery, dancing, kayaking, fishing, and crafts. Participants shared their immersion experience journeys immediately after the activity by drawing a line through a time-series graph representing their levels of immersion as the activity progressed. Immersion at each time point in the experience journey was measured as the vertical distance from the baseline to the drawn line, at each of 12 sequential observations. The questionnaire also included conventional post-hoc measures of enjoyment and proclivity to recommend the activity. Dispersion and pattern of immersion experience journeys were found to be important predictors of enjoyment and proclivity to recommend. Two measures of central tendency (peak-end average and global average) were also strong predictors. Models using global summaries as the measure of central tendency of immersion explained greater variance than peak-end averages until pattern and dispersion were added to the models. Results point to the potential utility of new and efficient questionnaires for monitoring experience journeys and continuously improving recreation programs and events.

The Effectiveness of a Recreational Behavioural Programme in Reducing Anger among Children with Intellectual Disabilities at the Primary Stage.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a recreational behavioural programme on reducing the degree of anger among children with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the primary stage. The study was implemented with 24 children who were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 12, age = 10.80 ± 1.03 years, IQ = 63.10 ± 4.43 scores, ASW = 55.50 ± 1.51 scores) and a control group (n = 12, age = 10.80 ± 0.92 years, IQ = 63.00 ± 4.16 scores, ASW = 56.00 ± 1.15 scores). We used the PROMIS anger scale with a modification that was used to measure the degree of anger, and the recreational behavioural programme was implemented three times per week for six weeks. The results of the research showed that the improvement percentages for Anger Triggers (AT), Inner Anger (IA), and External Anger (EA) were 9.73%, 9.04%, and 9.60%, respectively, and the Anger scale as a whole (ASW) rate was 9.46%. r = (0.89-0.91). The experimental group using the recreational behavioural programme also outperformed the control group, as the results indicated a decrease in the intensity of anger in the direction of the experimental group. The differences in the improvement percentages for Anger Triggers (AT) Inner Anger (IA), and External Anger (EA) were 32.97%, 31.03%, and 26.63%, respectively, and the Anger scale as a whole (ASW) rate was 30.09%, r = (0.82-0.86). The results of the study confirmed the effectiveness of the recreational activity programme in developing social interaction among children with intellectual disabilities, which indicates the success of the recreational behavioural programme in reducing the degree of anger among children with IDs. Therefore, the recreational behavioural programme had a positive effect in terms of reducing the degree of anger among children with IDs in the primary stage.

STUDY OF CHALLENGES FACED BY MARITIME GOVERNANCE AND THEIR SOLUTIONS BY THE MODERN SCIENCES

Gwadar is becoming a key factor in bolstering Pakistan's ailing economy. It is astonishing that Gwadar, a small fishing village in Pakistan, is swiftly becoming a smart deep-sea port city. Considering the significance of the region, the Pakistani government has designated Gwadar as a duty-free port and a free economic zone. This has increased its commercial significance and accelerated its rate of development to an incredible degree. When the city's development projects, recreational programs, and special economic zonescomplete, it will be comparable to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai due to its advantageous strategic location. The western port city of Gwadar has already attracted the attention of the global martitime communities. It is highly likely that the port city of Gwadar will be economically more successful than anyone can evaluate.

Exploring Campus Recreation Employees’ Work Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic made vulnerable work environments, and campus recreation departments could not avoid its influence. Previous studies focused on strategies and policies for reopening campus recreation facilities and the impacts of recreation programs on students and participants during the pandemic. Relatively little research has explored employees’ perceptions about campus recreation departments’ challenges and solutions, and employees’ work experience during the pandemic has not been fully explored. This study explored employees’ work experience related to burnout during the pandemic through semi-structured interviews with campus recreation employees ( N = 10). The findings revealed stressors, including extra workload, and lack of interaction, and burnout symptoms, including exhaustion, and cynicism. The findings also revealed that employees utilized individual strategies to manage stressors, and the department made efforts to reduce employees’ stress. The findings of this study will provide campus recreation practitioners with a better understanding of employees’ experience related to burnout.

The Sustainable Relationship between Investments in Human Capital and M&A

The purpose of this study is to investigate the sustainable relationship between government investment in human capital and the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The analysis is carried out on EU countries grouped into emerging countries, frontier countries and developed countries, considering the FTSE Russell ranking. Specifically, the research looks at the impact of a range of social factors: government expenditure on recreation programmes, community events, festivals (RCR), expenditure on housing and community facilities (HCA), expenditure on schools and universities (EDUC), expenditure on hospitals and general practitioners (HLT), expenditure on social protection (SP) and public order and safety (POS), defence expenditure (DEF) and environmental protection expenditure (EP) on the volume of merger or acquisition operations. Following the study carried out with the help of the panel data methodology and the OLS (ordinary least squares) method, we concluded that a business environment characterized by sustainable government investments in culture and education is more likely to contribute to business success and to attract more foreign investors, including those resorting to mergers or acquisitions. The results of the study could help identify the group of countries that require more attention from governments in terms of spending allocated from GDP for a sustainable human capital environment. Also, entrepreneurs can discover sustainable countries where they can make foreign direct investments with a favourable impact on the performance of the target companies.

Re-Reading Mental Illness : A Living Library as a Pedagogical Tool for Unlearning Stigma

Living with mental illness often results in varying levels and experiences of stigma. Stigmatizing experiences in health care settings are particularly detrimental because they cause reluctance to seek mental health care, which impedes recovery. While therapeutic recreation (TR) services and programs aim to support recovery, there is a gap in what we know about TR’s role in combatting the stigma of mental illness. To address this gap, this study examined the experiences of TR students who participated in a contact-based initiative known as a living library. This initiative provides opportunities for individuals living with mental illness to become living books and talk openly to readers about their experiences of illness and recovery. In this study, TR students undertook the role of readers. Findings highlight how students shifted their focus from the diagnosis to the person and started questioning their previously held stereotypes about mental illness. Findings also capture how the living library helped to contextualize students’ classroom learning by humanizing course material. We draw from these findings to demonstrate the merit of using contact-based approaches in TR to combat stigma of mental illness. This study has implications for practice and suggests that initiatives aimed at unlearning stigma can be impactful for TR students embarking on careers in health care settings that support the recovery of individuals living with mental illness.

Folkloric dance and its contribution to the reduction of sedentary lifestyle in teaching staff

The teaching staff is going through an occupational health problem due to the long working hours that they have little free time left to develop; One of the factors that affects the sedentary lifestyle of teachers, is the null practice of work recreation within the school institutions, since it originates from the ignorance of the benefits offered by recreation, it is precisely in this research that emphasizes the awareness of the benefits of work recreation in teaching staff, focused from the dance part within the working day in the face of this problem there is a large number of studies that explain the benefits of work recreation as a strategy to reduce sedentary lifestyle in teachers of the tax education system. For this reason, the article focuses its attention on evaluating a recreational program of folkloric dance as a means of reducing sedentary lifestyle aimed at high school teachers of the fiscal system. The project is based on different research designs starting from the documentary, field and quasi-experimental analysis, through the application of tests directed to the teachers and the sedentary lifestyle that allowed to collect significant amounts to determine the diagnosis; As a result of these investigative analyzes, the final conclusion was reached that responds to the stated objective, which is to reduce sedentary lifestyle in teachers. Therefore, it is affirmed that the Folk Dance Recreational Program has significant effects on the reduction of sedentary lifestyle in secondary education teachers of the fiscal system.

The effects of recreational cardio fitness programs on the body composition of young women

Background and study aim. Group fitness programs are a form of programmed physical exercises with the aim of improving health, aesthetic appearance, satisfying the motivation to preserve health and reduce body weight. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of an experimental cardio fitness program on the morphological status of female subjects aged 21.5 ± 3.5 years. Material and methods. The experimental program was implemented over a period of three months (12 weeks), with a weekly frequency (3 x 20-60 min). Initial and final measurements were performed and Body weight, Body fat percentage, Body fat mass, Free fat mass, Body muscle mass, Body mass index and Basal metabolism rate were analyzed. All test subjects have their doctor's confirmation that they are healthy and can undergo training loads in a planned and clearly defined cardio program. Results. The exercise program on cardio equipment caused changes in all body composition parameters between the initial and final measurements t-test (except for muscle mass). The total average Body weight at the initial-final measurement (66.45 vs. 64.70kg; t= 5.225, p<0.000), which represents a difference of -1.75kg after the program. Conclusions. The assumption is that a controlled and monitored program with a special focus on nutrition would lead to even more precise results on the effects on body composition. Continuous application of the content of this program throughout the entire one-year macrocycle with a higher weekly frequency would certainly give even more significant results.

Youth development in municipal recreation policy: a case study of Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT Policy implementation in municipal organisations is shaped by various policy frameworks and institutional structures that ultimately impact programming and service provision. The importance of youth development within recreation in municipal organisations in Canada is evident, but little research has focused on manager-level perspectives of youth development in the sector and the institutional factors that shape policy implementation therein. This research fills that gap by examining how youth development and associated policies are understood by managers in municipal recreation organisations (MROs). We used an instrumental case study methodology to examine the Province of Ontario, Canada and explore how youth development is understood in MROs, and how these understandings impact the implementation of policy related to sport and recreation. We draw from institutional theory to provide insight into how municipal organisations implement policy related to youth development. Our findings demonstrate the influence of the education sector on municipal recreation programming, how youth development is understood to occur through municipal work experiences, and the processes of involving youth in politics of municipal organisations, operations, and decision-making. We offer scholars and recreation practitioners a better understanding of the role of youth development in MROs and how policy related to youth development, sport, and recreation is implemented.

Parents’ long-term experiences in a recreational dance program for their children with autism spectrum disorder

Background and AimsMotor impairments are associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); yet few children receive appropriate therapy. Dance interventions are known to have diverse benefits, but research is lacking in how dance can benefit those with ASD. Ballet for all Kids is a novel program that has taught recreational dance classes to those with ASD for over a decade. We aimed to analyze families’ experiences in the program over many years, specifically examining why they continue to participate. Methods and ProcedureSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 parents and/or legal guardians of long-term participants of Ballet for All Kids. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to elucidate their experience in the program. Outcomes and ResultsIn examining the program’s retention factors, thematic analysis identified five themes: (1) authentic ballet training, (2) person centered program, (3) sensory integration and self-regulation, (4) skill development, and (5) interpersonal relationships. Conclusions and ImplicationsParents’ reports add to the literature that dance can benefit participants psychologically, physically, and socially. High retention rates demonstrate the need and desire for a recreational dance program. The authenticity and individualized support of Ballet for All Kids was emphasized by parents and should inform the direction of similar programs.

"It Shaped My Future in Ways I Wasn't Prepared for-in the Best Way Possible": Alumni Volunteers' Experiences in an Adapted Sports and Recreation Program.

Adapted sport participation can have many positive benefits for adults with disabilities. However, one barrier to implementing successful adapted sport programs is lack of knowledgeable volunteers who understand accessibility and disability. In fact, little is known about volunteers' experiences in adapted sport programs. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine experiences of able-bodied volunteers in an adapted sport program. A sample of 105 able-bodied volunteers (Mage = 24.28 ± 1.93) completed an online qualitative survey to share their experiences. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, and seven main themes were identified. Results showed that despite differences in initial motives for volunteering, involvement in an adapted sport program was transformative and, for some, life changing. Able-bodied volunteers experienced a wide range of benefits including deeper understanding and awareness of disability and inclusion in sport. Practical recommendations are provided for volunteer-based adapted sport program leaders.

Анімація в системі активного дозвілля

As it turns out, in practice, animation is limited to the artistic component of organising events and conducting various types of recreation, which does not meet the current needs for managing active leisure. there is a need to change the ideological function of animation in the leisure system. The purposeof study is to reveal the ideological component of an imation and recreational activities in the system of active leisure. Material and methods of research. the study used meta-analysis, which included the following stages: selection of information from scientific sources; selection of information that meets the criterion of objectivity, elimination of doubtful and duplicate sources, i.e. ensuring the quality of the collected material; proportional inclusion in the processing of sources that reflect different views on certain events and phenomena. Results. Animation as a method aims to bring all members of the community to teamwork. It is about bringing to life the social forces inherent in the social environment (both visible and hidden) in order to implement targeted and rational transformations that involve changes in various spheres of public life. Animation should stimulate the establishment of modern democratic values, develop a critical attitude to new ideas and behavioural models, and lead to a shift from an ego-centric to a socially-centric attitude. the task of socio-cultural and physical animation in relation to individuals and small groups is to free them from social isolation, awaken active views, motivate cultural and physical self-improvement, increase sensitivity to the problems of the world around them, add faith in rational actions (behaviour), and engage people in active life. thanks to animation activities, rapid beneficial changes can occur in the hierarchy of values of both individuals and communities. An animator of culture in general and physical culture in particular is one who complements the knowledge and life experience of people with whom he or she comes into contact, awakens their interests, reveals new ideals of life patterns, and conducts a dialogue about the possibilities and ways of reasonably satisfying culturally identified and hidden needs, including personal physical culture. When programming animation, choosing classes, games and activities, it is necessary to pay attention to several important criteria, namely: the purpose of animation, a set of activities and the expected results (effects) by the participants. Conclusion. Recreational animation is an effective means of active leisure, social communication, training, health improvement, including the elimination of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is now manifested in both civilians and the military. the diversity of types and forms of recreational animation makes it possible to increase the variability and, therefore, the targeting of recreational animation programmes. the positive orientation, hedonism, spiritual and creative nature of animation activity puts it on a par with other means of psychophysical influence on the human body

Conceptualizing Race in the Leisure Studies Diversity Course

Diversity courses are integral to higher leisure education curricula and united by the following assumptions: (a) recreation programs involve encounters with “different” groups of people and (b) future professionals require a specialized set of knowledge and skills in order to manage those interactions. Although several scholars have critiqued these assumptions, those insights have not been applied to rethinking how the diversity course is taught. This article addresses that gap through an examination of how race is conceptualized and taught within the diversity course. Race is the focal point of this article because diversity initiatives most often focus on racial identity. Academics have often framed race as a relatively homogenous individual identity in the leisure studies diversity course. The purpose of acquiring knowledge about racial identity is to facilitate the students’ diversification of staff and users. However, this framing of race obscures the ways that diversification can expose the racialized other to new forms of violence and exploitation. I offer racial capitalism as a different framework through which race can be conceptualized and taught within the leisure studies diversity course. Racial capitalism encourages viewing race through intersecting relations of power, as a status created to maintain power and profit, and as deeply rooted in the past.

Parental Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychological Outcomes and Risk and Protective Factors.

This review examines the challenges faced by parents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, their emotional reactions, and risk and protective factors in their adjustment. Clinical and policy implications are discussed, and recommendations for future study are offered. The literature reveals numerous stresses experienced by parents during the pandemic. Many parents facing COVID-19-related challenges suffered traumatic stress, depression, and/or anxiety, though most have adapted well over time. Demographic factors, pre-existing vulnerabilities, employment and household responsibilities, and family structure and cohesion influenced psychological outcomes. The pandemic lockdown created obstacles to accessing medical, mental health, educational, social, recreational, and other supportive programs and services for families, further increasing the burden on parents. The pandemic has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and triggered pervasive parental stress. The lockdown affected families differently based on their pre-existing vulnerabilities and available resources. Additional research using more rigorous methodological approaches is warranted to identify and address the needs of parents during public health crises like pandemics.

Don't wave goodbye to waivers: Review your liability releases

Releases of liability are a familiar requirement for participation in most recreational and athletics activities on college campuses. As institutions of higher education look for ways to bring in new revenue to offset the financial impact of enrollment declines, they might revisit how they could use their campus to bring in additional income. This may include allowing more outside groups to rent their facilities and other campus spaces for athletics camps or recreational programs. But before they do so, institutions should also revisit and update their waivers and releases.

Don't wave goodbye to waivers: Review your liability releases

Releases of liability are a familiar requirement for participation in most recreational and athletics activities on college campuses. As institutions of higher education look for ways to bring in new revenue to offset the financial impact of enrollment declines, they might revisit how they could use their campus to bring in additional income. This may include allowing more outside groups to rent their facilities and other campus spaces for athletics camps or recreational programs. But before they do so, institutions should also revisit and update their waivers and releases.

Seeing Jesus in the Eyes of the Oppressed: A History of Franciscans Working for Peace and Justice by Paul T. Murray (review)

Reviewed by: Seeing Jesus in the Eyes of the Oppressed: A History of Franciscans Working for Peace and Justice by Paul T. Murray Anne Klejment Seeing Jesus in the Eyes of the Oppressed: A History of Franciscans Working for Peace and Justice. By Paul T. Murray. [United States Franciscan History Project.] (Oceanside, CA: The Academy of American Franciscan History, 2021. Pp. vii, 283. $20.00. ISBN 978-0-8838-2274-6. Seeing Jesus in the Eyes of the Oppressed focuses on the activism of eight Franciscans: four priests, three sisters, and one brother, who addressed social issues in the era since 1945. They drew inspiration from core Franciscan charisms, such as the respect for the dignity of the poor and marginalized, official Catholic social teaching, and ecumenical and global sources. In these profiles, Franciscan activists have supplemented charity with creative justice initiatives as a path to address the root causes of social and economic ills. The author of this engaging volume, Paul T. Murray, came to this project with a deep connection to Franciscans as teachers and colleagues and to the struggle for Black civil rights. Half of this volume features racial justice activists. The story of Father Nathaniel Machesky details his path toward outright confrontation with white supremacy. Participation in the Selma campaign for voting rights launched Sister Antona Ebo into leadership roles. The first Black Capuchin, Brother Booker Ashe, promoted interracial awareness and Black pride through a variety of programs in Milwaukee, including establishment of the House of Peace and a summer enrichment and recreation program for children. The chapter on Sister Thea Bowman unfortunately relegates her to a secondary position by highlighting the works of the Holy Child Jesus Mission, where she was educated and baptized into the Catholic church. Profiles of Father Alan McCoy and Sister Patricia Drydyk focus on support for the farm workers' movement. Influenced by Cesar Chavez, McCoy prioritized tackling inadequate wages to supplement providing relief. Additionally, he addressed such international concerns as the war in Vietnam. An inspiring and energetic picketer, organizer, and publicist, Drydyk dedicated herself to the farm workers' cause. Father Joseph Nangle's profile considers how his experiences as a [End Page 428] missionary in Latin America and familiarity with liberation theology shaped his prophetic role upon his recall to the United States. Involved in protesting overseas sales of infant formula and arms, and supporting the Sanctuary Movement, he helped create an intentional community dedicated to simple living and acts of social justice. Before joining the Franciscans, Father Louie Vítale, an Air Force intercept officer, nearly shot down a U.S. passenger plane that was mistaken for a Soviet bomber. Shaken by the experience, Vitale pledged himself to protesting militarism and war, which resulted in his hundreds of arrests. As Murray makes clear, these prophetic activists lived in Franciscan communities that represented a range of opinion on how sisters and friars could best effect social change—or if they should even try. They would enlarge Catholic teaching and practice as they confronted the moral challenges of the outside world. Yet like the larger American Catholic community, Franciscan houses struggled with the activism of vowed members and racism, an indication of the limits of "made in the image and likeness of God" belief. This book is an exciting example of the possibilities of researching the histories of religious orders. Each portrait contains a wealth of details on the interplay between Franciscans and social and economic realities. Oral interviews add insight and broaden historical context. Surprisingly, despite the growth of lay associate groups in the post-Vatican Council II era, this volume does not include an indepth profile of a lay Franciscan activist. Overall, readers can expect an absorbing and well researched visit into living Franciscan values nearly nine centuries after Francis of Assisi. Anne Klejment University of St. Thomas Anne Klejment University of St. Thomas Copyright © 2023 The Catholic University of America Press

"It Goes Hand in Hand with Us Trying to Get More Kids to Play" Stakeholder Experiences in a Sport and Active Recreation Voucher Program.

Vouchers that reduce the cost of sport and active recreation participation have been shown to increase children's and adolescent's physical activity levels. Yet, the influence of government-led voucher programs on the capacity of sport and active recreation organisations is unclear. This qualitative study explored the experiences of stakeholders in the sport and recreation sector that were engaged in implementing the New South Wales (NSW) Government's Active Kids voucher program in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 sport and active recreation providers. Interview transcriptions were analysed by a multidisciplinary team using the Framework method. Overall, participants reported that the Active Kids voucher program was an acceptable intervention to address the cost barrier to participation for children and adolescents. Three main steps influenced the capacity of organisations to deliver their sport and recreation programs and the voucher program: (1) Implementation priming-alignment of the intervention aims with stakeholder priorities and early information sharing, (2) Administrative ease-enhanced technology use and establishment of simple procedures, and (3) Innovation impacts-enablement of staff and volunteers to address barriers to participation for their participants. Future voucher programs should include strategies to enhance the capacity of sport and active recreation organisations to meet program guidelines and increase innovation.