College Students’ Healthy Leisure: Latent Profile Analyses of Constraints and Negotiation Strategies

Abstract

College presents opportunities for health promotion, but students may be constrained in their ability to engage in healthy leisure. Leisure constraints and constraint negotiation strategies are important influences of healthy leisure, but few studies have examined the potential for heterogeneity among students in the constraints they face and how they negotiate these constraints. The present study therefore used a person-centered approach, latent profile analysis, to identify patterns of college students’ constraints and negotiation of healthy leisure. Using a sample of 605 students at a U.S. university, results indicated a four-profile solution for healthy leisure constraints and a two-profile solution for healthy leisure negotiation. Results also showed interrelationships between profiles and among profiles and participant demographics, healthy leisure motivation and identity, subjective health, and healthy leisure activities. Findings are discussed in terms of future research and the development of more tailored leisure education interventions for college populations.