FREE-TIME ACTIVITIES AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Open Access
- Author:
- Palen, Lori-Ann
- Graduate Program:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 19, 2008
- Committee Members:
- Edward A Smith, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Linda L Caldwell, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
J Douglas Coatsworth, Committee Member
John Walter Graham, Committee Member - Keywords:
- adolescence
South Africa
free-time activities
substance use - Abstract:
- The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the execution and implications of two research studies aimed at understanding adolescent free-time experiences and their links to substance use in a sample from one area of South Africa. The first study described the free-time context in this population, using both focus group (N = 114) and survey (N = 946) data. Youth were involved in a broad range of activities, however, socializing, media use, sports, risk behavior (including substance use), dance, musical performance, and going to game shops were most prominent and popular. Free-time was most strongly characterized by intrinsic motivation, which included experiences of competence, relatedness, and positive affect. Activities were also often seen as a way to achieve goals related to health, well-being, and personal achievement. With few exceptions, multiple motivations were identified for the same activities, and specific motivations were reported across multiple activity types. In particular, youth mentioned many of the same motivations for risk behavior as they did for more traditionally pro-social free-time activities. However, there is also some evidence for unique social influences on risk behavior. The second study examined longitudinal patterns of regular smoking in one cohort of survey participants (N = 2,425). It explored gender and treatment group differences in these patterns, as well as certain free-time experiences that could potentially predict these patterns. There was evidence for four patterns of smoking, with intervention effects on smoking prevention for girls and smoking cessation for boys. Experiences of extrinsic motivation, amotivation, and boredom were related to heightened odds of being a regular smoker. These studies make a number of unique contributions to what is known about free-time and substance use among South African adolescents. They offer some support for the generalizability of theory, elucidate longitudinal associations between free-time experiences and smoking, and provide a nuanced assessment of one intervention’s impact on smoking behavior. While these findings have specific implications for intervention, they also highlight needs for future research with youth in South Africa and worldwide.