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Examination of Adults' Leisure Constraints, Social Inclusion and Life
Satisfaction: Perspectives from Five European Countries

Introduction
Physical activities, which are expressed as bodily movements that result in higher energy expenditure
than the lowest levels for any physiological function, are expressed as a kind of leisure time activity.
Physiological, psychological and social benefits of regularly participating in physical activity in leisure time
are among the topics that are frequently discussed in the literature (Andrade et al., 2019; Zhao et al.,
2019). On the other hand, it is known that insufficient participation in physical activity plays an active role
in some problems such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancer and not being satisfied with life (Huang
et al., 2021). According to the researches, although the positive effects of participating in physical activity
as a recreational activity or the negative effects of not participating are known, it can be stated that
individuals living in many countries of the world, especially in European countries, do not participate in
daily physical activity at the recommended level (Mayo et al., 2019).
It is understood from the studies in the literature that it is examined within the scope of "Hierarchical
Leisure Barriers Theory" that prevents or restricts the participation of individuals in leisure time
activities. According to this theory, the factors that prevent individuals from participating in physical
activity and other leisure time activities in their daily lives are evaluated in three categories as personal,
interpersonal and structural factors (Godbey, Crawford & Shen, 2010). In the study conducted by
Moreno-Llamas, García-Mayor and De la Cruz-Sánchez (2020) with the participation of 28 European
Union countries, it was found that the main factors that prevent individuals from participating in leisure
activities are the expensiveness of the activities and the fear of injury. It has been stated that these
barriers are mostly valid for low and middle social class groups.

One of the negative situations caused by the barriers to participation in leisure activities is related to the
level of social inclusion. Duhaime et al. (2004) defines social inclusion as a measure of an individual's
availability of appropriate opportunities and resources to access a variety of material, social and emotional
networks. It is a known fact that social inclusion plays a key role in increasing mental health and life
satisfaction (Wright & Stickley, 2013). For example, the results of the recent study by Chen and Liu (2020)
are closely related to the rationale for our study. In this study, it was concluded that increasing the
participation of the society in physical activity increases social inclusion and plays an active role in
promoting health.

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