Leisure activities, life satisfaction, and happiness among people with spinal cord injury during the COVID-19 pandemic

Prior studies have demonstrated that engagement in various leisure activities is associated with improved physical health and subjective well-being among people with SCI. These studies have stressed the importance of leisure activities as coping strategies that contribute to the life satisfaction and quality of life among people with SCI while counteracting their negative life experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among types of leisure activities, health perception, life satisfaction, and happiness among people with SCI. The participants of the study were 201 individuals, 148 males (73.6%) and 53 females (26.4%), with spinal cord injuries who were recruited through the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association. Results indicated that sport activities, community activities, and perceived health condition were significantly related with life satisfaction. Perceived health condition and life satisfaction as well as age and home-based activities were significantly related with the happiness of the participants. Participation in sport activities and community-based activities was positively associated with life satisfaction, and home-based activities had a positive association with happiness among people with SCI. Thus, the results of this study confirm the importance of leisure as a way of increasing the life satisfaction and happiness of people with SCI during the pandemic.