Recreation patterns in the first year of motherhood

Abstract

The importance and benefits of recreation are discussed, with particular reference to the problems faced by women in the first year of motherhood. In a review of the existing literature on recreation it was found that a number of fundamental questions had not been investigated, and that the measures used were often inappropriate and misleading, and more specifically that had been little attention paid to the pattern of recreation of young mothers. Research was conducted, using a sample of women in their first year of motherhood, on the extent and nature of participation in recreational activities. It was found that while levels of participation decreased to the lowest level since school age after the birth of the first child, this decrease was not specific to any particular type of activity. The use of a refined measure of participation thus provided greater insight into the changes in patterns of recreation throughout the life stages investigated. While levels of participation decreased generally, there was still a great deal of variation between individuals within the sample, and it was found that this variability was best accounted for in terms of previous history of involvement in recreation, and more specifically of involvement in active, "sporting" activities. It was proposed that this result could be explained in terms of the "social" nature of earlier sporting involvement. In general however, previous involvement in one type of activity was not found to be related to present involvement in that activity. The respondents reported that the major constraints on participation in recreational activities were child related, (primarily the availability of child-care and restricted mobility and independence) and factors relating to the organisation of recreational activities (primarily the timing and nature of activities provided), and a proposal was outlined whereby these problems could be alleviated by the involvement of Local Bodies and established community Groups and resources.