Healthy leisure and its relationship to substance use in South African adolescents: A variable and person centered approach.
Open Access
- Author:
- Weybright, Elizabeth Hall
- Graduate Program:
- Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- July 01, 2013
- Committee Members:
- Linda L Caldwell, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Benjamin Daniel Hickerson, Committee Member
Edward A Smith, Committee Member
Nilam Ram, Committee Member - Keywords:
- healthy leisure
adolescents
South Africa
substance use - Abstract:
- The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a more complete understanding of how healthy leisure was associated with substance use in South African adolescents. Although initial comparisons of both US and SA prevalence rates suggest similar levels of substance use, SA adolescents initiate illicit substance use at an earlier age and transition through substances at a faster rate. One means of addressing substance use in adolescence is targeting healthy leisure use; however, little work has been done to understand the role of healthy leisure in adolescent substance use. Using previously collected longitudinal data (HealthWise), two studies, guided by Problem Behavior Theory, analyzed this association. Both studies took an exploratory approach to conceptualizing healthy leisure by conducting a factor analysis producing a healthy leisure factor and a leisure planning efficacy factor. Study 1 (Chapter 2) used multi-level modeling to analyze the association between state and trait healthy leisure factors and substance use while including treatment and perceived parental over-control as moderators. Results indicate both state and trait healthy leisure were associated with substance use. The leisure planning efficacy factor was not significantly associated with substance use and perceived parental over-control and treatment did not moderate either relationship. Study 2 (Chapter 3) used growth mixture modeling to identify distinctive developmental patterns of adolescent substance use development and then determine the influence of healthy leisure on subgroups of substance use development. A four-class solution was found to best fit the data, demonstrating three increasing (Early, Middle, and Late Escalators) and one stable (Low/Rare Users) trajectory group. Results found individuals with high levels of healthy leisure were more likely to be in the Low/Rare Users than in the Early or Middle Escalators class. The leisure planning efficacy factor demonstrated the opposite results where individuals with higher levels were more likely to be in the Early or Middle Escalators than in the Low/Rare Users class. Overall, results from both studies within this dissertation found subjective perceptions of healthy leisure protective against substance use. This supports the addressing positive use of leisure time within risk behavior prevention programs in South Africa.