Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity

Abstract Aim Previous studies have documented the beneficial effects of leisure activities on mental health. However, limited methods or scales are available to measure leisure activities for the evaluation of mental health or the intervention of mental disorders, and data on the therapeutic benefit...

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Main Authors: Rumiko Kinkawa, Miki Ono, Satoshi Horiuchi, Masayuki Kikkawa, Shunichiro Ito, Akifumi Shimasaki, Yu Tamada, Jiro Masuya, Mina Honyashiki, Takeshi Inoue
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:PCN Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70070
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author Rumiko Kinkawa
Miki Ono
Satoshi Horiuchi
Masayuki Kikkawa
Shunichiro Ito
Akifumi Shimasaki
Yu Tamada
Jiro Masuya
Mina Honyashiki
Takeshi Inoue
author_facet Rumiko Kinkawa
Miki Ono
Satoshi Horiuchi
Masayuki Kikkawa
Shunichiro Ito
Akifumi Shimasaki
Yu Tamada
Jiro Masuya
Mina Honyashiki
Takeshi Inoue
author_sort Rumiko Kinkawa
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Aim Previous studies have documented the beneficial effects of leisure activities on mental health. However, limited methods or scales are available to measure leisure activities for the evaluation of mental health or the intervention of mental disorders, and data on the therapeutic benefits of leisure activities for mental health are scarce. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the effects of leisure activities on the mental health of young individuals. Therefore, we developed the Leisure Activity Scale (LAS; a 7‐item, 5‐point scale) to assess the leisure activities of young adults, and aimed to confirm its reliability and validity. Methods This study involved 551 Japanese participants aged 18–25 years and was conducted through an online survey from September to November 2022. Reliability of the LAS was assessed through internal consistency analysis. To determine convergent and discriminant validity, the LAS was compared with various scales measuring psychometric properties, including depression, anxiety, work fatigue recovery, resilience, neuroticism, emotion regulation, well‐being, and ill‐being. Results Factor analysis indicated that the 7‐item LAS was the most appropriate measure for use in mental health (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.756). Total LAS7 scores positively correlated with recovery experience, resilience, emotion regulation, and well‐being, and negatively correlated with state anxiety. These were all weak correlations, with correlation coefficients of less than 0.3. Total LAS7 scores did not correlate with trait anxiety, neuroticism, or ill‐being. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the reliability of the LAS, but its convergent validity was insufficient. The LAS can comprehensively assess leisure activities, although further improvement regarding its validity is needed.
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spelling doaj-art-d23c3df32b6043d08b98e274be3e482e2025-08-20T03:40:30ZengWileyPCN Reports2769-25582025-03-0141n/an/a10.1002/pcn5.70070Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validityRumiko Kinkawa0Miki Ono1Satoshi Horiuchi2Masayuki Kikkawa3Shunichiro Ito4Akifumi Shimasaki5Yu Tamada6Jiro Masuya7Mina Honyashiki8Takeshi Inoue9Department of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Social and Clinical Psychology Hijiyama University Hiroshima JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanDepartment of Psychiatry Tokyo Medical University Tokyo JapanAbstract Aim Previous studies have documented the beneficial effects of leisure activities on mental health. However, limited methods or scales are available to measure leisure activities for the evaluation of mental health or the intervention of mental disorders, and data on the therapeutic benefits of leisure activities for mental health are scarce. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the effects of leisure activities on the mental health of young individuals. Therefore, we developed the Leisure Activity Scale (LAS; a 7‐item, 5‐point scale) to assess the leisure activities of young adults, and aimed to confirm its reliability and validity. Methods This study involved 551 Japanese participants aged 18–25 years and was conducted through an online survey from September to November 2022. Reliability of the LAS was assessed through internal consistency analysis. To determine convergent and discriminant validity, the LAS was compared with various scales measuring psychometric properties, including depression, anxiety, work fatigue recovery, resilience, neuroticism, emotion regulation, well‐being, and ill‐being. Results Factor analysis indicated that the 7‐item LAS was the most appropriate measure for use in mental health (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.756). Total LAS7 scores positively correlated with recovery experience, resilience, emotion regulation, and well‐being, and negatively correlated with state anxiety. These were all weak correlations, with correlation coefficients of less than 0.3. Total LAS7 scores did not correlate with trait anxiety, neuroticism, or ill‐being. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the reliability of the LAS, but its convergent validity was insufficient. The LAS can comprehensively assess leisure activities, although further improvement regarding its validity is needed.https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70070anxietyleisure activityrecovery experienceresiliencewell‐being
spellingShingle Rumiko Kinkawa
Miki Ono
Satoshi Horiuchi
Masayuki Kikkawa
Shunichiro Ito
Akifumi Shimasaki
Yu Tamada
Jiro Masuya
Mina Honyashiki
Takeshi Inoue
Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
PCN Reports
anxiety
leisure activity
recovery experience
resilience
well‐being
title Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
title_full Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
title_fullStr Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
title_full_unstemmed Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
title_short Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
title_sort development of the leisure activity scale for young adults reliability and validity
topic anxiety
leisure activity
recovery experience
resilience
well‐being
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70070
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