Longitudinal patterns of active leisure among South African youth: gender differences and associations with health risk behaviours

Abstract

This study identified adolescents' patterns of active leisure participation over two years and five waves of data and how those patterns were related to substance use and sexual activity. Participants included 3581 primarily Coloured (mixed race) South African adolescents. Latent class analysis was utilized to determine patterns of active leisure patterns and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between the patterns and substance use and sexual activity. Four patterns were identified: Non-Participants; Early Participants; Late Participants; and Consistent Participants. Most males were Consistent Participants, whereas most females were Non-participants. Female Consistent Participants had the lowest odds of tobacco use, marijuana use, and sexual activity by the tenth grade relative to the other patterns, whereas Early Participants had the highest odds. In contrast, male Consistent Participants were at moderate risk of engaging in health risk behaviours relative to the other patterns. These findings suggest the need for a cautious approach to developing active leisure-based interventions, taking into account the contextual factors that may influence participation and health risk behaviours.

Keywords:

• adolescence
• physical activity
• sexual activity
• South Africa
• sport
• substance use

Acknowledgements

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health [grants RO1 DA01749] and [F31 DA024535].