The Relationships of Serious Leisure, Self-Determination, Social Interaction, and Quality of Life of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in South Korea

Abstract

Background/Objectives: At this point in time when the self-determination of adults with intellectual disabilities is emphasized as an important factor of the quality of life. Thus, this study aims to analyze the relationships of serious leisure, self-determination, social interaction, and quality of life.

Methods/Statistical analysis: A structured questionnaire was obtained from 77 young adults with intellectual disabilities between 18 and 25 years of age residing in S-city, and 69 of them were analyzed. The measurement tools used were the self-determination, social interaction, and quality of life of young adults with intellectual disabilities. The SPSS WIN VER 23.0 and Amos 22.0 program were used to analyze the data with reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation model.

Findings: The results of this study are as follows. First, the serious leisure had significant effects on the self-determination. Second, the serious leisure had significant effects on the self-determination. Third, the serious leisure had significant effects on the social interaction. Fourth, the serious leisure had significant effects on the quality of life. Fifth, in causal relationships of serious leisure, self-determination, social interaction, and quality of life, the serious leisure had direct effects on the self-determination, social interaction, and quality of life, and also had indirect effects on the quality of life through self-determination and social interaction.

Improvements/Applications: the participation in leisure activities of young adults with intellectual disabilities helps them start playing their roles as a member of society by learning about common, but essential values and attitude through interactions with others, and also makes their entry to society easy, which is eventually to practice the welfare for people with disabilities