O ruído faz-se cada vez mais onipresente no cotidiano de toda sociedade e a exposição continuada a elevados Níveis de Pressão Sonora (NPS), dentre outros danos, pode originar uma Perda Auditiva Induzida por Níveis de Pressão Sonora Elevados (PAINPSE): lesão auditiva irreversível, que interfere na qualidade de vida do sujeito acometido, podendo ser ocasionada tanto pela exposição ocupacional, quanto pela não ocupacional. E, o ginásio de esportes figura como um ambiente propício à exposição de tal natureza, onde coexistem esses dois tipos. A proposição deste estudo foi investigar a exposição sonora e a saúde auditiva de esportistas e não esportistas que frequentam ginásios de esportes. Participaram deste, 25 indivíduos frequentadores de um ginásio de esportes, divididos em três grupos: nove jogadores (G I), oito integrantes do público (G II) e oito funcionários do local (G III). Todos foram submetidos ao questionário específico e às avaliações auditivas (Imitanciometria, Audiometria Tonal Liminar AT-AC e de Altas Frequências AT-AF) e, além disso, foram obtidas em dois momentos (jogo oficial e jogo treino), mensurações de intensidade sonora no ginásio. Como resultados, tais mensurações no jogo oficial variaram de 73,3 e 112 dBNPS(A) e no jogo treino, de entre 70,8 e 100,1 dBNPS(A). Ao questionário específico, os sintomas auditivos mais referidos foram otalgia (55,6% do GI), zumbido (37,5% do GII) e hiperacusia (37,5% do GIII); para os não auditivos, obtiveram maiores prevalências cefaleia (44,4% GI), e alteração do sono (50% do GII e 37,5% do GIII); após exposição a elevados NPS, o sintoma auditivo mais referido foi hiperacusia (25% do GII e do GIII); para os não auditivos, obtiveram maiores prevalências alteração do sono (66,7% do GI) e cefaleia (50% do GII). Nas avaliações auditivas, a imitanciometria indicou a curva timpanométrica do Tipo A como mais recorrente (100% OD e OE no GI; 62,5% OD e 87,5% OE no GII; 75% OD e 87,5% OE no GIII) e o GI foi o único que obteve 100% de presença de reflexos ipsilaterais (bilateralmente) e contralaterais com aferência em OD; a AT-AC apontou a frequência de 6 kHz como a mais acometida, bilateralmente. Na comparação entre médias tritonais (0,5, 1 e 2 kHz com 3, 4 e 6 kHz), houve diferença estatisticamente significante apenas no GIII, em OE; a AT-AF apontou as frequências de 12,5 kHz na OD e 14 kHz na OE como as mais acometidas. Na comparação entre as médias dos limiares entre os três grupos, houve diferença estatisticamente significante apenas para as frequências de 11,2 e 12,5 kHz. Evidenciou-se que na mensuração do NPS, para todos os pontos e em ambos momentos, foram obtidos valores que ultrapassaram os estabelecidos em pelo menos uma das normas utilizadas neste estudo. Para G II e G III, verifica-se ainda o indício de comprometimento de células ciliadas externas, retratado pela normalidade das médias dos limiares tonais convencionais, acompanhada de ausência de respostas na AT-AF. Nesse sentido, destaca-se como relevante a adoção de medidas que viabilizem a conservação da saúde auditiva dos frequentadores do ambiente esportivo ginásio de esportes. / Noise has become more and more omnipresent in the routine of society and the continued exposure to elevated Sound Pressure Levels (SPL), among other damages, may cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL): an irreversible hearing damage, which interferes in the subjects quality of life, and is caused both by occupational exposure and by non-occupational exposure. The gyms configures a propitious environment to exposures of such nature, where these two types coexist. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sound exposure and the hearing care of sports players and non sports players who attend gyms. 25 individuals, attendees of gym, participated of this study: nine players (G I), eight publics members (G II) and eight gyms employees (G III). All of them were subject to the specific questionnaire and to the hearing evaluations (Immitanciometry, Pure Tone Audiometry, and High-Frequency Audiometry) and, besides, two sound intensity measurements were obtained in the gym (official game and training game). The results indicate that such measurements in the official game varied from 73,3 to 112 dBSPL(A) and in the training game, from 70,8 to 100,1 dBSPL(A). According to the specific questionnaire the most felt hearing symptoms were otalgy (55,6% of G I), tinnitus (37,5% of G III); in the non-hearing symptoms the most frequent were headaches ( 44,4% of G I) and sleeping alteration ( 50% of G II and 37,5% of G III); after exposure to elevated SPL, the most mentioned hearing symptom was hyperacusis (25% of GII and G III); in the non-hearing symptoms prevailed sleeping alteration (66,7% of GI) and headache (50% of GII). In the hearing evaluations, the Immitanciometry indicated the tympanometric curve of the Type A as more recurrent (100% RE and LE in GI; 62,5% RE and 87,5% LE in GII; 75% RE and 87,5 LE in GIII) and the GI was the only one that obtained 100% presence of ipsilateral reflexes (bilaterally) and contralateral with RE checking, the PTA pointed the frequency of 6khz as the most affected, bilaterally. In the comparison between tritonal averages (0,5, 1 and 2 kHz with 3, 4 and 6 kHz) there was a statistically significant difference only in the GIII, in LE; the HFA pointed the frequencies of 12,5 kHz in the RE and 14kHz in the LE as the most affected. In the averages comparison between the threshold of the three groups, there were a significant statistically difference only to the frequencies of 11,2 and 12,5 kHz. It was evident that in the measuring of SPL, to all the points and in both moments, there were obtained values that exceeded the established in at least one of the norms used in this study. To GII and GII there was also verified the impairment of external ciliated cells, portrayed by the normality conventional tonal thresholds, followed by the absence of answers in the HFA. In this sense, we highlight the relevance of adopting measures that make the conservation of the gym attendees hearing health possible.

O ruído faz-se cada vez mais onipresente no cotidiano de toda sociedade e a exposição continuada a elevados Níveis de Pressão Sonora (NPS), dentre outros danos, pode originar uma Perda Auditiva Induzida por Níveis de Pressão Sonora Elevados (PAINPSE): lesão auditiva irreversível, que interfere na qualidade de vida do sujeito acometido, podendo ser ocasionada tanto pela exposição ocupacional, quanto pela não ocupacional. E, o ginásio de esportes figura como um ambiente propício à exposição de tal natureza, onde coexistem esses dois tipos. A proposição deste estudo foi investigar a exposição sonora e a saúde auditiva de esportistas e não esportistas que frequentam ginásios de esportes. Participaram deste, 25 indivíduos frequentadores de um ginásio de esportes, divididos em três grupos: nove jogadores (G I), oito integrantes do público (G II) e oito funcionários do local (G III). Todos foram submetidos ao questionário específico e às avaliações auditivas (Imitanciometria, Audiometria Tonal Liminar AT-AC e de Altas Frequências AT-AF) e, além disso, foram obtidas em dois momentos (jogo oficial e jogo treino), mensurações de intensidade sonora no ginásio. Como resultados, tais mensurações no jogo oficial variaram de 73,3 e 112 dBNPS(A) e no jogo treino, de entre 70,8 e 100,1 dBNPS(A). Ao questionário específico, os sintomas auditivos mais referidos foram otalgia (55,6% do GI), zumbido (37,5% do GII) e hiperacusia (37,5% do GIII); para os não auditivos, obtiveram maiores prevalências cefaleia (44,4% GI), e alteração do sono (50% do GII e 37,5% do GIII); após exposição a elevados NPS, o sintoma auditivo mais referido foi hiperacusia (25% do GII e do GIII); para os não auditivos, obtiveram maiores prevalências alteração do sono (66,7% do GI) e cefaleia (50% do GII). Nas avaliações auditivas, a imitanciometria indicou a curva timpanométrica do Tipo A como mais recorrente (100% OD e OE no GI; 62,5% OD e 87,5% OE no GII; 75% OD e 87,5% OE no GIII) e o GI foi o único que obteve 100% de presença de reflexos ipsilaterais (bilateralmente) e contralaterais com aferência em OD; a AT-AC apontou a frequência de 6 kHz como a mais acometida, bilateralmente. Na comparação entre médias tritonais (0,5, 1 e 2 kHz com 3, 4 e 6 kHz), houve diferença estatisticamente significante apenas no GIII, em OE; a AT-AF apontou as frequências de 12,5 kHz na OD e 14 kHz na OE como as mais acometidas. Na comparação entre as médias dos limiares entre os três grupos, houve diferença estatisticamente significante apenas para as frequências de 11,2 e 12,5 kHz. Evidenciou-se que na mensuração do NPS, para todos os pontos e em ambos momentos, foram obtidos valores que ultrapassaram os estabelecidos em pelo menos uma das normas utilizadas neste estudo. Para G II e G III, verifica-se ainda o indício de comprometimento de células ciliadas externas, retratado pela normalidade das médias dos limiares tonais convencionais, acompanhada de ausência de respostas na AT-AF. Nesse sentido, destaca-se como relevante a adoção de medidas que viabilizem a conservação da saúde auditiva dos frequentadores do ambiente esportivo ginásio de esportes. / Noise has become more and more omnipresent in the routine of society and the continued exposure to elevated Sound Pressure Levels (SPL), among other damages, may cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL): an irreversible hearing damage, which interferes in the subjects quality of life, and is caused both by occupational exposure and by non-occupational exposure. The gyms configures a propitious environment to exposures of such nature, where these two types coexist. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sound exposure and the hearing care of sports players and non sports players who attend gyms. 25 individuals, attendees of gym, participated of this study: nine players (G I), eight publics members (G II) and eight gyms employees (G III). All of them were subject to the specific questionnaire and to the hearing evaluations (Immitanciometry, Pure Tone Audiometry, and High-Frequency Audiometry) and, besides, two sound intensity measurements were obtained in the gym (official game and training game). The results indicate that such measurements in the official game varied from 73,3 to 112 dBSPL(A) and in the training game, from 70,8 to 100,1 dBSPL(A). According to the specific questionnaire the most felt hearing symptoms were otalgy (55,6% of G I), tinnitus (37,5% of G III); in the non-hearing symptoms the most frequent were headaches ( 44,4% of G I) and sleeping alteration ( 50% of G II and 37,5% of G III); after exposure to elevated SPL, the most mentioned hearing symptom was hyperacusis (25% of GII and G III); in the non-hearing symptoms prevailed sleeping alteration (66,7% of GI) and headache (50% of GII). In the hearing evaluations, the Immitanciometry indicated the tympanometric curve of the Type A as more recurrent (100% RE and LE in GI; 62,5% RE and 87,5% LE in GII; 75% RE and 87,5 LE in GIII) and the GI was the only one that obtained 100% presence of ipsilateral reflexes (bilaterally) and contralateral with RE checking, the PTA pointed the frequency of 6khz as the most affected, bilaterally. In the comparison between tritonal averages (0,5, 1 and 2 kHz with 3, 4 and 6 kHz) there was a statistically significant difference only in the GIII, in LE; the HFA pointed the frequencies of 12,5 kHz in the RE and 14kHz in the LE as the most affected. In the averages comparison between the threshold of the three groups, there were a significant statistically difference only to the frequencies of 11,2 and 12,5 kHz. It was evident that in the measuring of SPL, to all the points and in both moments, there were obtained values that exceeded the established in at least one of the norms used in this study. To GII and GII there was also verified the impairment of external ciliated cells, portrayed by the normality conventional tonal thresholds, followed by the absence of answers in the HFA. In this sense, we highlight the relevance of adopting measures that make the conservation of the gym attendees hearing health possible.

The frequent consumption of alcohol and cannabis by youth poses both concern and ambivalence to society about the nature of the problem and how to respond. In the last few decades, social science research has devoted considerable attention to substance use among youth, making it an important issue to consider; however, controversy abounds when considering where consumption patterns of youth fall on a continuum from normal to deviant. Central to these debates is the social acceptability of the substances being used, their legal status, the frequency with which they are consumed, and the particular groups most often engaged in their use. Youth who consume alcohol are viewed with less trepidation than those who consume cannabis. Moreover, those who use either substance recreationally or experimentally are deemed to be more typical than those who have escalated their use to more regular or frequent episodes. Finally, drug-using youth who are embedded in conventional society are viewed more positively than those who occupy the margins of society, such as those who are delinquent or homeless. To fully understand the debate about the deviancy versus the normalcy of adolescent substance use, more inclusive approaches that take into account structural, individual and situational explanations are needed; however, existing studies fail to consider all of these influences. Instead, there is debate about the dominance of each of these explanations. This dissertation examines and tests these competing representations and explanations of adolescent substance use by drawing on multiple sociological theories of deviance including control theories, differential association theory, routine activity approaches, and drift theory. Using a combined sample of high school students and street youth, the findings suggest that adolescent substance use is far too complex to be explained by only one theory. Instead, explanations for the variations in substance use must take into account both individual backgrounds and more immediate situational influences. Most importantly, individual beliefs about substances are an important and often ignored aspect of individual substance use patterns.

The frequent consumption of alcohol and cannabis by youth poses both concern and ambivalence to society about the nature of the problem and how to respond. In the last few decades, social science research has devoted considerable attention to substance use among youth, making it an important issue to consider; however, controversy abounds when considering where consumption patterns of youth fall on a continuum from normal to deviant. Central to these debates is the social acceptability of the substances being used, their legal status, the frequency with which they are consumed, and the particular groups most often engaged in their use. Youth who consume alcohol are viewed with less trepidation than those who consume cannabis. Moreover, those who use either substance recreationally or experimentally are deemed to be more typical than those who have escalated their use to more regular or frequent episodes. Finally, drug-using youth who are embedded in conventional society are viewed more positively than those who occupy the margins of society, such as those who are delinquent or homeless. To fully understand the debate about the deviancy versus the normalcy of adolescent substance use, more inclusive approaches that take into account structural, individual and situational explanations are needed; however, existing studies fail to consider all of these influences. Instead, there is debate about the dominance of each of these explanations. This dissertation examines and tests these competing representations and explanations of adolescent substance use by drawing on multiple sociological theories of deviance including control theories, differential association theory, routine activity approaches, and drift theory. Using a combined sample of high school students and street youth, the findings suggest that adolescent substance use is far too complex to be explained by only one theory. Instead, explanations for the variations in substance use must take into account both individual backgrounds and more immediate situational influences. Most importantly, individual beliefs about substances are an important and often ignored aspect of individual substance use patterns.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [46]-51).

This thesis is focused on interests on leisure activities of the children attending elementary school (2nd grade of elementary education in the Czech Republic). The aim of this thesis is to analyze the task of leisure activities of these children, more specifically kinds of activities they prefer. Theoretical part of the thesis firstly, explains the meaning of terms: interest, leisure activity and last but not least leisure time. First chapter explains the term interest in more detail and also reflects evolution of interest of children and youths. Following chapter offers insight into leisure activities from the point of view of psychology and education. Third chapter is focused on leisure time and explains its functions and reality among youths. In this part I also introduce leisure activities either organized or random ones. Next chapter introduces the most important organizations which offer education in the field of leisure activities. Last chapter is basically the overview of the theoretical part of the thesis. Empirical part of the thesis is based on questionnaires and discovers how youths spend their leisure time. The main aim of these questionnaires is to identify leisure activities which are preferred among youths and more specifically for how long period of time they are dedicated to the certain activity and how important is for them, and all of this depending on sex.

The population of older persons has increased dramatically over the years in South Africa as well as internationally. As populations continue to age, the concept of active ageing has received increasing attention from researchers. Active ageing can be defined as the process of optimising older persons’ opportunities for health promotion, participation, and security in order to enhance their quality of life. In this definition, “health” refers to physical, mental, and social well-being. “Participation” refers to the optimisation of participation in activities such as employment, education, the arts, and religion, and “security” refers to ways in which the protection, dignity, and care of older persons can be maintained and improved. The distribution of older persons in South Africa by ethnic group is disproportionate with older white persons representing 21% of the total older population. Many of these white older persons reside in retirement villages resulting in their being populated by older white persons more so than by members of other ethnic groups. Retirement village policies and programmes generally incorporate an active ageing philosophy. However, most research on active ageing in retirement villages is conducted internationally, and, furthermore, it does not include the subjective experiences of older persons in these active environments. The aim of this research was therefore to explore the experiences of older residents in a retirement village with an active ageing approach. Barker’s behaviour setting theory and the continuity theory were applied in this study. The behaviour setting theory holds that the environment (retirement village) in which people function is important when explaining human behaviour and exploring the subjective experiences of older persons. The continuity theory rests on the premise that ageing is not a static process but rather an ongoing process and that continuity is a primary strategy used by people to deal with changes associated with ageing. According to this theory, people endeavour to continue with the psychological and social patterns they developed and adopted during their lifetimes. The study was conducted at a retirement village in Boksburg, Johannesburg (Gauteng, South Africa), that follows an active ageing approach, making it an ideal context for exploring the subjective experiences of older persons in an active ageing environment. The retirement village has a dedicated life style consultant who has developed specific programmes for every day of the week with time slots allocated for different activities in which older persons can participate. The programmes exclude frail people in the facility who cannot participate owing to their physical limitations. The director of the organisation that is responsible for many retirement villages, and this one in particular, contacted the researchers and asked them to explore the residents’ quality of life experiences so that the services provided to them could be adjusted if necessary. Ethical approval for the research was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the North-West University. The manager of the retirement village was also asked to distribute posters indicating the nature of the research. On the day of the data gathering, the participants were told about the research and that they would be required, if they wished to participate, to engage in individual interviews with the researchers and take part in the Mmogo-method®, a projective visual research method (Roos, 2008, 2012). The residents who agreed to participate gave their informed consent and confirmed that their participation was voluntary and they had been made aware that they could withdraw from the study at any time. Twenty participants were recruited for the study of whom 16 were women and four were men. The ages ranged between 65 and 80 years with an average age of 73. Two of the participants were English speaking, and the remainder were Afrikaans speaking. They were given the Mmogo-method® materials, which consisted of clay, straws, and colourful beads, and were invited to make visual representations of their lives and activities at the retirement village. The research request was, “Build something that describes your life here at the retirement village”. When all the participants had completed their visual representations, the representations were photographed and served as visual data. The researcher then asked each participant what he or she each had made and why he or she had made it. An informal group discussion was subsequently held with the 18 participants who had taken part in the Mmogo-method®. Individual in-depth interviews with two participants were conducted after the Mmogo-method® had been carried out. All the discussions were audiotaped and served as textual data. The visual data were analysed by getting the literal meanings of the visual representations from the participants in relation to the specific research request. The textual data were analysed thematically, which involved identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns or themes in the data. Different techniques, including crystallisation and member checking, were applied to ensure the trustworthiness of the research process and findings. The findings revealed that the participants were actively involved in a variety of activities on a daily basis. The activities included physical activities organised by the life style consultant or self-initiated activities such as playing tennis, doing line-dancing, going for brisk walks, working out in the gymnasium, and engaging in recreational activities such as fishing, reading, and scrapbooking. The objectives of these activities were to maintain joint flexibility, general health, and mental fitness. Some of the older residents had formalised roles in the retirement village, which they had previous experience of. The participants also took part in different social activities such as paying social visits and making friends. The spiritual activities of the participants were solitary as well as communal. The participants thus experienced the retirement village as a very busy environment with full schedules. In such an environment, people often engage in activities to distract themselves from dealing with difficult circumstances in their lives. Barker’s settings theory holds that older residents’ physical presence in an active environment influences their levels of activity and their subjective experiences. For some residents, an active environment fits into the continuation of the active life styles they developed during the course of their lives, but for others it may have implications for their psychological well-being if they do not have self-regulatory skills to navigate themselves and act merely on feeling obligated to do something. Using an active environment to deal with difficult circumstances can be either a constructive or a destructive coping strategy for older persons. The individual needs of residents should always be taken into account, and retirement villages with an active ageing approach should be aware that one size does not fit all. This study aimed to draw the attention of retirement village managers to the need to take cognisance of the experiences of older persons when implementing ageing policies in their facilities. It also shed new light on the experiences of active ageing among older residents. / MA (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The population of older persons has increased dramatically over the years in South Africa as well as internationally. As populations continue to age, the concept of active ageing has received increasing attention from researchers. Active ageing can be defined as the process of optimising older persons’ opportunities for health promotion, participation, and security in order to enhance their quality of life. In this definition, “health” refers to physical, mental, and social well-being. “Participation” refers to the optimisation of participation in activities such as employment, education, the arts, and religion, and “security” refers to ways in which the protection, dignity, and care of older persons can be maintained and improved. The distribution of older persons in South Africa by ethnic group is disproportionate with older white persons representing 21% of the total older population. Many of these white older persons reside in retirement villages resulting in their being populated by older white persons more so than by members of other ethnic groups. Retirement village policies and programmes generally incorporate an active ageing philosophy. However, most research on active ageing in retirement villages is conducted internationally, and, furthermore, it does not include the subjective experiences of older persons in these active environments. The aim of this research was therefore to explore the experiences of older residents in a retirement village with an active ageing approach. Barker’s behaviour setting theory and the continuity theory were applied in this study. The behaviour setting theory holds that the environment (retirement village) in which people function is important when explaining human behaviour and exploring the subjective experiences of older persons. The continuity theory rests on the premise that ageing is not a static process but rather an ongoing process and that continuity is a primary strategy used by people to deal with changes associated with ageing. According to this theory, people endeavour to continue with the psychological and social patterns they developed and adopted during their lifetimes. The study was conducted at a retirement village in Boksburg, Johannesburg (Gauteng, South Africa), that follows an active ageing approach, making it an ideal context for exploring the subjective experiences of older persons in an active ageing environment. The retirement village has a dedicated life style consultant who has developed specific programmes for every day of the week with time slots allocated for different activities in which older persons can participate. The programmes exclude frail people in the facility who cannot participate owing to their physical limitations. The director of the organisation that is responsible for many retirement villages, and this one in particular, contacted the researchers and asked them to explore the residents’ quality of life experiences so that the services provided to them could be adjusted if necessary. Ethical approval for the research was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the North-West University. The manager of the retirement village was also asked to distribute posters indicating the nature of the research. On the day of the data gathering, the participants were told about the research and that they would be required, if they wished to participate, to engage in individual interviews with the researchers and take part in the Mmogo-method®, a projective visual research method (Roos, 2008, 2012). The residents who agreed to participate gave their informed consent and confirmed that their participation was voluntary and they had been made aware that they could withdraw from the study at any time. Twenty participants were recruited for the study of whom 16 were women and four were men. The ages ranged between 65 and 80 years with an average age of 73. Two of the participants were English speaking, and the remainder were Afrikaans speaking. They were given the Mmogo-method® materials, which consisted of clay, straws, and colourful beads, and were invited to make visual representations of their lives and activities at the retirement village. The research request was, “Build something that describes your life here at the retirement village”. When all the participants had completed their visual representations, the representations were photographed and served as visual data. The researcher then asked each participant what he or she each had made and why he or she had made it. An informal group discussion was subsequently held with the 18 participants who had taken part in the Mmogo-method®. Individual in-depth interviews with two participants were conducted after the Mmogo-method® had been carried out. All the discussions were audiotaped and served as textual data. The visual data were analysed by getting the literal meanings of the visual representations from the participants in relation to the specific research request. The textual data were analysed thematically, which involved identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns or themes in the data. Different techniques, including crystallisation and member checking, were applied to ensure the trustworthiness of the research process and findings. The findings revealed that the participants were actively involved in a variety of activities on a daily basis. The activities included physical activities organised by the life style consultant or self-initiated activities such as playing tennis, doing line-dancing, going for brisk walks, working out in the gymnasium, and engaging in recreational activities such as fishing, reading, and scrapbooking. The objectives of these activities were to maintain joint flexibility, general health, and mental fitness. Some of the older residents had formalised roles in the retirement village, which they had previous experience of. The participants also took part in different social activities such as paying social visits and making friends. The spiritual activities of the participants were solitary as well as communal. The participants thus experienced the retirement village as a very busy environment with full schedules. In such an environment, people often engage in activities to distract themselves from dealing with difficult circumstances in their lives. Barker’s settings theory holds that older residents’ physical presence in an active environment influences their levels of activity and their subjective experiences. For some residents, an active environment fits into the continuation of the active life styles they developed during the course of their lives, but for others it may have implications for their psychological well-being if they do not have self-regulatory skills to navigate themselves and act merely on feeling obligated to do something. Using an active environment to deal with difficult circumstances can be either a constructive or a destructive coping strategy for older persons. The individual needs of residents should always be taken into account, and retirement villages with an active ageing approach should be aware that one size does not fit all. This study aimed to draw the attention of retirement village managers to the need to take cognisance of the experiences of older persons when implementing ageing policies in their facilities. It also shed new light on the experiences of active ageing among older residents. / MA (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: Childhood obesity is epidemic, and Hispanic children bear a particularly high health burden because of it. Evidence suggests that obesity prevention is a better option than intervention. Because schools have decreased the amount of time spent in physical education classes, leisure time has become the time to engage in physical activity, which may prevent obesity. Social ecology theory posits that a person’s interaction with the environment has a strong influence on health promoting behavior. Further, this theory suggests that cultural values also play a role. The extant literature points to the sedentary nature of Hispanic children. However, it does not provide a description of the activities that children engage in during their leisure time, or how they are influenced by their family, culture, and community’s environment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and provide an understanding of how leisure time is viewed by Hispanic families, and how family and culture influences Hispanic children’s participation in leisure time activity. Two broad research questions were addressed: 1) How do Hispanic families describe leisure time activities? and 2) How do culture, family and the community environment influence a Hispanic child’s participation in leisure time activities? Methods: This ethnographic study incorporated photographs taken by English-speaking Hispanic mothers of children between 6 and 10 years old (n=10) as they engaged in leisure activities for one week. The participants engaged in photo-elicited interviews, describing the children’s activities and performed initial data analysis by sorting the photos in the categories of activities. Findings: Girls were more sedentary, engaging in intellectually stimulating and creative play activities inside, with family members or alone. Boys were more active, engaging in unstructured play activities outside with family members or friends. The children engaged in these activities to promote their health, prepare for their adult lives, and for fun. Cultural tensions experienced by the children’s parents had a profound influence on their leisure time choices and decisions. Activities were used to prepare the children for a better life, and to teach them to balance work and fun. Ultimately, the participants wanted their children to live a balanced life; one that is happy, healthy, and successful. Relevance: The children engaged in purposefully planned leisure activities aimed to ensure their health, happiness, and success in the U.S. The participants acknowledged that to achieve a better life, the children must become expert multicultural navigators. While many of the activities were sedentary, they had important implications for the children’s future. Health care providers must consider how patients view leisure time, and enlist their ideas in order to make children’s activities more physically active.