Happiness Levels and Leisure Life Satisfaction for Sports Leisure Activities Participation: Implication for Physical Education in Korea

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to analyze happiness levels and leisure life satisfaction related to participation in sports leisure activities, and the differences in satisfaction levels by the type of participation events and participants’ demographic backgrounds. METHODS: This study was based on the 2020 Korea National Leisure Activities Survey using stratified multistage cluster sampling with a population over the age of 15 years and a nationwide survey. Moreover, a household visit interview survey was conducted from September 7 to November 16, 2020. A total of 10,088 people (5,003 males and 5,085 females) responded to the survey. Frequency analysis, chi-square test, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were performed. RESULTS: The analysis of the distribution of participants and the happiness level and overall leisure life satisfaction between participants in sports and non-sports leisure activities showed significant differences (P<0.05). Participants in sports leisure activities had higher levels of happiness and satisfaction with leisure activities than those in non-sports leisure activities. There were significant differences in satisfaction with participation in sports leisure activities by type of sports, age, educational level, marital status, and household income level (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There were significant differences in participation in sports leisure activities by type of sports, age, educational level, marital status, and household income level, and the satisfaction level of participants in sports leisure activities differed according to these factors. This suggests that various educational efforts are required to combine physical education with sports leisure activities in school.