Citation

Weybright EH, Son JS, Caldwell LL. J. Leis. Res. 2019; 50(3): 239-259.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, National Recreation and Park Association, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00222216.2019.1588694

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Leisure is an important developmental context in adolescence and emerging adulthood due to its role promoting healthy development and mitigating risk behavior. Empirical work has focused on the benefits and risks of activities and time use in these life stages, but the influence of subjective perceptions of leisure is often ignored. Furthermore, researchers lack consistent conceptualization of the terms healthy leisure and unhealthy leisure. Given this, the current study used a two-phased qualitative design collecting free-listing (nsubjects = 158) and focus group (nsubjects = 29; ngroups = 4) data on the perceived meanings of healthy leisure and unhealthy leisure in college students. Guided by free-listing results, focus group data were analyzed for commonalities. Descriptors of healthy were restorative, self-determined, and including a social element while unhealthy was excessive, lacked self-control, and included elements of escape.

FINDINGS illustrate the challenge of labeling leisure activity as healthy or unhealthy independent of contextual and individual factors and inform measurement development.

Language: en

Keywords

Emerging adults; healthy leisure; qualitative; self-determination theory; unhealthy leisure