MAIN AND STRESS-MODERATING HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEISURE

Main and stress-moderating effects of three types of leisure (Outdoor-Active Sport, Social, Cultural-Hobbies activities) on physical and psychological illness symptoms were examined. A survey of 340 Cairns residents (159 males and 181 females) provided data for the study. Leisure activities were prescaled for perceived stress-reducing benefits. The stress-reducing capacity of outdoor sport participation was beneficial for health in the absence of stressful life events. Life change and distress components of life events interacted differently with leisure factors in affecting health. The presence of social leisure was found to moderate the relationship between life event distress and symptoms. These stress-buffering effects of social leisure were not found to hold at high levels of social activity. Rather, high levels of social leisure exacerbated the effects of distress on symptoms. The presence of stress-reducing cultural-hobbies leisure moderated the effects of distress, but exacerbated the effects of life change. The research findings have implications for stress-management, leisure counselling and the design of individualized leisure packages.