This study presents empirical evidence to support that leisure activities have influence on developmental difference between poverty and non-poverty children, and to propose that leisure activities can be the protective factor for children with povert...
This study presents empirical evidence to support that leisure activities have influence on developmental difference between poverty and non-poverty children, and to propose that leisure activities can be the protective factor for children with poverty. Total 3,450 children`s data about leisure activities and their developmental level(in cognitive and language development) are collected from the data of the index studies for Korean child and adolescent`s development in 2009. And they are classified into two groups, poverty or non-poverty, according to income level of their families. Analysis of relationships among leisure activities, developmental level, and income groups(poverty or non-poverty) reveal significant correlation between leisure activities and children`s development, the interaction effects of leisure activities and income levels on the children`s development. This results suggest that children who have a lots of leisure activities show the higher level of cognitive and language development although they are included in poverty group. Thus, we are able to consider leisure activities as a protective factor for children`s development with poverty.