MEASURING CONSTRAINTS TO LEISURE ACTIVITIES: DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES.

Objective: The aim of the study was to measure the constraints to leisure activities participation. Method: 270 (53.9 %) male and 231 (46.1 %) female, a total of 501 individuals aged between 18-54 ≥ voluntarily participated to this study. "Leisure Constraints Questionaire" (LCQ) consists of 29 items as limiting factors in recreational activities as reasons for nonparticipants (Alexandris K., Carroll B., 1997). The Turkish form of the LCQ (T-LCQ) (Karak0ü0ç0ük S., G0ürb0üz B., 2006) includes 27 statements and 6 subscales: (a) facilities/services and accessibility, (b) social environment and lack of knowledge, (c) individual psychological, (d) lack of partners, (e) time and (f) lack of interests. The internal consistency for 501 adults were ranged from .73 (time) to .88 (individual psychological). Independent samples t-test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the mean differences with respect to some demographic variables. Results and Conclusion: Independent samples t-test were revealed that there was a significant difference in individual psychological [t₍₄₉₈₎ = 2.97; p<0.05], facilities/services and accessibility [t₍₄₉₇₎ = -3.16; p<.05], and time subscale [t₍₄₉₄₎ = -2.35; p<.05] according to gender. There was also statistically mean differences according to the marital status in facilities/services and accessibility [t₍₄₉₈₎ = 4.58; p<.05] and time subscale [t₍₄₉₄₎ = 4.32; p<.05]. ANOVA analysis specified a significant mean differences in the individual psychological [F_(3-496) = 8.62 ; p< .05], social environment [F_(3-495) = 8.50; p< .05], facilities/services and accessibility [F_(3-481) = 6.46; p< .05] and time subscale [F_(3-492) = 4.15; p< .05], with regard to educational level. However no significant differences was found in the two other subscales (p>.05). As a results, the participants rated "facilities/services and accessibility" as the most important constraints on their recreational activities participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]