The influence of leisure on the quality of life of refugees in Turkey

Abstract

Several factors including war, human rights violations, persecution, economic hardship, and climate crises force people, refugees, to leave their homes with the hope of a better life. Of the 80 million refugees across the globe, 73% are hosted in neighbouring countries. Among these host countries, Turkey accommodates nearly four million registered refugees, which is the world’s largest number of refugees in one country. Quality of life (QOL) is of great concern for refugees who experience significant hardship and life changes. Leisure may be a tool to support refugee QOL, however, a review of the literature shows that there is a gap in understanding of the perceived availability and influence of leisure participation on QOL of adult refugees residing in Turkey. In my post-positivist study, I collected data via an online questionnaire translated into three languages commonly spoken among refugees in Turkey. The questionnaire examined different dimensions of leisure (i.e., active, passive, and social) and their relationship to dimensions of QOL (i.e., physical, psychological, social, and environmental). Responses from a sample of 203 adult refugees were analysed using structural equation modeling. In addition, independent-sample t-tests were used to explore the difference between the QOL, leisure availability, and leisure participation of men and women. Results showed that both leisure availability (β = .80, p < .001) and participation (β = .32, p < .001) strongly, directly and positively influenced QOL. Leisure availability also indirectly and positively influenced QOL through participation (β = .39, p < .001). The calculated R-squared (R2 = .45) showed that variation in leisure availability and participation explains a significant proportion of variation in QOL of refugees in Turkey. T-test results showed no significant difference between men and women’s leisure availability and participation. Other than in psychological dimensions, there was no significant difference between men and women’s perception of QOL (t(189) = -2.24, p = .02). Women’s average score for perceived psychological QOL was significantly lower than for men with a small effect size. It can be interpreted that improving refugees perceived and real access to leisure and facilitating their leisure participation may substantially improve their QOL when coupled with other interventions. Preliminary evidence suggests that providing refugees with access to digital technologies and online communication devices may help them improve their social and passive leisure, and subsequently, their QOL. Other opportunities such as the development of refugee cultural centres may help build community through participation in relevant cultural activities, namely celebrating culturally meaningful holidays or sharing skills and knowledge.