Doing a leisure activity because there is nothing else to do: Related outcomes and intervention effects for adolescents

Abstract

This study examined whether a leisure-focused intervention, HealthWise, was related to reduced youth polysubstance use and delayed sexual debut via reducing how often youth did leisure activities because there was nothing else to do. HealthWise was compared to a no-intervention control for 5,610 high school students from eighth to tenth grades in townships near Cape Town, South Africa. Three specific leisure activities were examined: spending time with friends, playing sports, and going to parks. Among girls, spending time with friends because there was nothing else to do significantly mediated the effect of HealthWise on reducing frequent polysubstance use in the past month. For boys, spending time in parks because there was nothing else to do mediated the effect of HealthWise on delayed sexual debut. Results partially supported the HealthWise logic model of impacting risky behaviors via leisure and the value of prevention programs addressing the reasons behind leisure choices.

Keywords:

• Adolescence
• leisure activity
• sexual debut
• South Africa
• substance use

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

Appreciation is expressed to the HealthWise project staff and the schools, teachers, and youth who participated in this project.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse [grant number R01 DA01749 to the second author]. The first author was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences [grant number R305B090007] and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse [grant numbers T32 DA017629, P50 DA10075, P50 DA039838]. The views expressed in this article are ours and do not necessarily represent the official views of granting agencies.