Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Expanding research has found that participation in leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with individual well-being; however an understanding of the mechanisms that drive the relationship are less understood. The aim of this study was to investigate if perceptions of health mediate the relationship between LTPA participation in the neighborhood and subjective happiness. Telephone interviews were conducted using random digit dialing among a sample of adult residents aged 18+ (n = 415) to gather information about LTPA behaviors within the neighborhood, perceptions of health and happiness, and socio-demographics. Results of a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that health had a small significant indirect effect on the relationship between LTPA and happiness. Focusing on perceptions may offer a more holistic conceptualization of how behavior impacts health; one that aligns with the view of leisure as a state of mind. This perspective is often overlooked when LTPA is classified by structural definitions of duration and frequency; but may offer important insight into how the experience of engaging in LTPA contributes to the subjective evaluation of personal happiness.