Current Trends in the Leisure and health sector

CASE-1
Q1. Current Trends in the Leisure and health sector 

This case study discusses the current trends in mental health, social participation and support, and physical activity in Australia. Mental health issues, particularly depressive disorders, affect a significant portion of the population and cost the country $3.3 billion in 2003 (Chandra & Branganza, 2022). Certain groups are more at risk than others, including Indigenous people, People who identify as CALD, those with impairments, teenagers, new mothers, and the elderly. The social and financial consequences of mental illness might be reduced via community-wide initiatives to improve mental health and well-being. It has been demonstrated that participating in organized sports and leisure activities improves mental health and well-being, especially when social networks and support are available. It is well-acknowledged that physical exercise reduces the total burden of disease.

Q.2 Research Objectives 

The study's focus is on the connection between organized sport and recreation participation and mental health in Australia. The following are the goals of this study's subject:

• To comprehend the economic and societal repercussions of mental illness in Australia.
• To determine which demographic segments in Australia are most likely to have mental health issues (White & Babic, 2020).
• Examining the relationship between social support, social networks, social cohesion, and mental health in Australia. 
• Determining the contribution of physical activity to improving mental health and well-being in various population groups. 
• Determining the effect of physical activity on feelings of well-being and self-esteem. 
• Determining the relationship between physical activity and depression.
• To make recommendations for plans to create and sustain organized sports and leisure activities that are acceptable in society and culture and that serve a variety of demographic groups, particularly those in Australia who are most at risk of experiencing mental health issues.

Q.3 How to strengthen the quality of work practice 

To strengthen the quality of your work practice, you could use this report to:

• Improve your knowledge of Australia's prevalence of mental illness, the demographic segments most at risk, and the financial and societal costs incurred by mental disease.
• Create ways to improve social cohesiveness, social networks, and mental health of the community via participation in group activities.
• Encourage physical activity and organized sports participation to prevent mental disease and to advance good mental health and well-being.
• Put your attention on creating and sustaining organized sports and leisure activities that are culturally and socially suitable and take into account mediating elements that boost commitment to physical activity programs.
• Extend these programs to a variety of population groups, including those most at risk of having mental health problems, such as Native Americans, people from CALD communities, people with disabilities, teenagers, postpartum women, and seniors (Van der, Kremers, & Ferreira, 2020).
•  Take into account the link between playing organized sports and risk-taking behavior, such as abusing alcohol or other drugs.
• Carry out further study to determine the causal links between organized sport and recreation participation and mental health.

Q.4 How to collate research report 

To collate this research report along with others for future use, one could follow the below steps:

• Categorize the report based on its research topic and subtopics. For instance, in this report, the research topic is mental health, and the subtopics include social participation and support, and physical activity.
• Assign relevant keywords and tags to the report to make it easily searchable in the future. For example, in this report, the keywords could include mental health, social participation, physical activity, depression, social support, and so on.
• Create a database or repository where all the research reports can be stored and organized based on categories and keywords.
• Use a reference management tool like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to keep track of the sources used in the report and generate citations and bibliographies in the future (Uchida et al., 2021).
• Ensure that the report follows a standard format and includes all the necessary details such as the title, author(s), date, publisher, and source of the report.
• Regularly update the database or repository with new research reports and keep refining the categorization and tagging process for better organization and searchability.

CASE STUDY 2 

Q. 5 Source 

The International Health, Racquet & Sports Club Association (IHRSA) is a reliable resource for information on industry standards for the leisure and health sectors. The fitness and health care sector is represented by the international trade organization IHRSA (Parks, Housemann & Brownson, 2022). They provide research, resources, and support to help their members improve their businesses and promote healthy lifestyles. Their website (ihrsa.org) is a valuable resource for information on industry standards, trends, and best practices. They also offer educational events and publications to help industry professionals stay informed and up to date on the latest developments in the field (Smith & Klieber, 2021).

Q.6 Setting up priority 

Prioritizing information based on research needs involves identifying the most important and relevant information that directly addresses the research questions and objectives. Here are some steps that could be taken to prioritize information:

• Define the research questions and objectives: Clearly define what the research is trying to achieve and what information is needed to answer the questions.
• Conduct a preliminary search: Before diving deep into the research, conduct a preliminary search to identify the most relevant sources of information. This can help to avoid irrelevant information and save time.

• Evaluate the sources: Evaluate the sources of information to determine their credibility, reliability, and relevance to the research questions. This could involve looking at the author's credentials, the publisher, the date of publication, and the level of detail provided.
• Analyze the information: Analyze the information that has been gathered to determine its relevance to the research questions. This may involve categorizing the information into different groups or themes and identifying the most important and relevant pieces of information.
• Prioritize the information: Once the most important and relevant pieces of information have been identified, prioritize them based on their relevance to the research questions and objectives. This may involve ranking the information in order of importance or grouping it into different levels of priority.

Q.7 Assessing Feasibility 

• Feasibility: The feasibility of running the suggested programs can be assessed by evaluating the resources required to run them, such as funding, staff, equipment, and facilities. It is important to ensure that the organization has the resources to implement the programs effectively (Lepore, Smyth & Gangwisch, 2021). This can be achieved by creating a budget and identifying potential funding sources.
• Benefits: The benefits of the programs can be assessed by considering the needs of the community and how the programs can address those needs. The impact of the programs on the participants and the community should also be evaluated. It is important to determine if the programs are aligned with the goals and mission of the organization.
• Risks: The risks associated with the programs should be identified and evaluated. This can include potential negative impacts on participants or the community, as well as financial risks associated with funding the programs. It is important to have a risk management plan in place to address any potential issues that may arise.

Q.8 Action Plan 

• Creating a presentation: Creating a clear and concise presentation that outlines the key findings from your research is an effective way to communicate the information to the team. The presentation should include the industry trends, the most beneficial activity for the group, feasibility, benefits, and risks associated with the program.
• Holding a meeting: Schedule a meeting with the team to present your findings and answer any questions they may have. This can be done in person or virtually depending on the team's preference.
• Sharing the report: Providing a written report that summarizes the research is another effective way to communicate the information (Trang et al., 2021). The report should be easy to read and provide all the necessary information.
• Getting feedback: Once the team has reviewed the information, it's important to get their feedback on the proposed program. This will allow the team to provide input and make any necessary adjustments to the proposed program.
• Developing an action plan: Once the team has agreed on the proposed program, it's time to develop an action plan. The action plan should include specific steps that need to be taken to implement the program, as well as a timeline and budget.

Q.9 Hypothesis test 

Hypothesis testing involves the use of statistical methods to determine whether a hypothesis or assumption about a population is supported by the data (Alba & Gonda, 2021). In this case, it is unclear what specific hypothesis would be tested through the research on industry trends and community needs. However, it is possible that the research could be used to test a hypothesis related to the effectiveness or popularity of certain leisure and health activities.

References 

Alba, B. M., & Gonda-Soroczyńska, E. (2021). An Analysis of Health and Wellness Programs Offered by Polish Fitness Clubs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 431.

Chandra, A., & Braganza, D. (2022). The Role of Leisure in Promoting Physical and Mental Health: A Review of Literature. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28(2), E32-E41.

Lepore, S. J., Smyth, J. M., & Gangwisch, J. E. (2021). Healthy Leisure Activities and Their Relationship to Sleep, Positive Affect, and Stress. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 19(6), 717-728.

Parks, S. E., Housemann, R. A., & Brownson, R. C. (2022). Understanding the Relationship between Parks and Health: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 63(1), 106-116.

Smith, K. L., & Kleiber, D. A. (2021). Park and Recreation Agency Responses to Health and Wellness Trends in the United States. Leisure Sciences, 43(5-6), 435-446.

Trang Le, A. T., Nguyen, T. T. H., Nguyen, H. H., Nguyen, V. T. K., & Hoang, D. T. (2021). Perceived Benefits of Exercise and Leisure-Time Physical Activity on Health-Related Quality of Life among Vietnamese Older Adults. Journal of Community Health, 46(4), 748-757.

Uchida, H., Ishizu ka, R., Kanda, K., & Koike, T. (2021). The Impact of Leisure Activities on Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Japan. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 114458.

Van der Horst, K., Kremers, S., & Ferreira, I. (2020). Perceived Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity and Healthy Nutrition among Dutch Adults: Opportunities for Community-based Interventions. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5), ckz201.910.

White, R. L., & Babic, M. J. (2020). The Role of Leisure in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Mental Health for People with Multiple Sclerosis. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(5), 1601-1609.