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Associating leisure with drinking: current research and future directions
1Social and Evaluation Research Department, Addiction Research Foundation, Ontario, Canada.
Drug and Alcohol Review
|March 1, 1997
Summary
This review explores the link between alcohol consumption and leisure activities. Research indicates alcohol can be integral to leisure, impede it, or active leisure may reduce alcohol use, but studies often lack robust measures.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Health Psychology
- Leisure Studies
Background:
- The relationship between alcohol consumption and leisure activities is complex and warrants further investigation.
- Existing research presents varied findings on how drinking influences leisure experiences and vice versa.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey existing research (1980-1994) on the connection between alcohol consumption and leisure.
- To identify common themes and limitations in current studies.
- To propose directions for future research in this area.
Main Methods:
- Conducted an online literature search to identify 43 relevant journal articles.
- Analyzed and synthesized findings from the selected studies.
- Categorized research results into four main themes regarding alcohol and leisure.
Main Results:
- Identified four primary themes: alcohol as integral to leisure, alcohol as an impediment to leisure, active leisure reducing alcohol use, and no relationship.
- Found that research frequently relied on special populations.
- Noted a lack of robust measurement tools for both drinking behaviors and leisure participation.
Conclusions:
- Current research on alcohol and leisure is limited by methodological weaknesses.
- Future studies should employ better research designs and integrate leisure concepts more effectively into alcohol research.
- There is a need for more generalizable findings beyond specific populations.