UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

How leisure activities affect health: a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action

Fancourt, D; Aughterson, H; Finn, S; Walker, E; Steptoe, A; (2021) How leisure activities affect health: a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action. The Lancet Psychiatry , 8 (4) pp. 329-339. 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30384-9. Green open access

[thumbnail of Accepted Manuscript]
Preview
Text (Accepted Manuscript)
Fancourt_How leisure activities affect health- a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action_AAM.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (146kB) | Preview
[thumbnail of Supplementary Material]
Preview
Text (Supplementary Material)
Fancourt_How leisure activities affect health- a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action_SuppM.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

There is a large and growing body of evidence on the health benefits of engagement in leisure activities (voluntary, enjoyable non-work activities, such as hobbies, arts, volunteering, community group membership, sports, and socialising). However, there is no unifying framework explaining how leisure activities affect health: what the mechanisms of action are by which engagement with leisure activities leads to the prevention, management, or treatment of mental and physical illness. In this Review, we identify and map over 600 mechanisms of action. These mechanisms can be categorised as psychological, biological, social, and behavioural processes that operate at individual (micro), group (meso), and societal (macro) levels, and are synthesised into a new theoretical framework: the Multi-level Leisure Mechanisms Framework. This framework situates understanding of leisure activities within the theoretical lens of complex adaptive systems and aims to support the design of more theory-driven, cross-disciplinary studies.

Type: Article
Title: How leisure activities affect health: a narrative review and multi-level theoretical framework of mechanisms of action
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30384-9
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30384-9
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10122710
Downloads since deposit
1,204Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item