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11w.cosT POL Rar� ey. Nj YMCA EConoPools TM are the low-cost choice for community, park, school and recreational progn ms ■ modular sizes and shapes -from swim training to Olympic size and beyond • free standing. self-supporting construction • fast assembly on any tirrn, level surface ... indoors or out • hand -carried, heavy-duty, bolt -together gal- vanized components • quick disassembly for compact storage and relocation ,gdubl*117tc. 41-04 35th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101 800/245-6964 PLEASE CIRCLE READER SERVICE CARD No. 27 career choices that will enhance their lives. Yet no similar effort is made to increase the awareness of young peo- ple about the use of free time. In fact, most of us have never been overtly informed that the things we do in our free time can riot on v m eus hai- er an ea thier, but also wiser, less isolated, and more tolerant. Leisure education is not as simple as teaching people skills, or even informing them about opportunities. Leisure educa- tion means telling people what the recreation profession has long known: that for many people, leisure choices provide a primary opportunity to be fully functioning human beings. Why should we bother to use leisure education to reduce the likeli- hood of boredom in free time? The most important reason that has emerged from recent research studies is that leisure boredom is consistently associated with other negative behav- iors and outcomes- For example, in Playgrounds For The Disabled Meet ADA and CPSC Safety Guidelines! WONDER MAZE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS TheWonder Maze and Wheelchair Swing are among dozens of PCA's proven rehabilitative play systems used in mainstreaming by hundreds of special schools, nationwide. Most WHEELCHAIR SWING important, our playgrounds comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC) guide- lines. Ask for a catalog and about our free playground planning service. (800) 727-8180 ST. LOUIS 389-4140 industries ainC. 5642 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO 63120 PLEASE CIRCLE HEADER SERVICE CARD No. 28 1991 Seppo Iso -Ahola and Edward Crowley reported that adolescents diagnosed as substance abusers were more bored with their free time than adolescents who were not substance abusers. This was true even after the researchers controlled for other vari- ables like gender, age, race, socioeco- normc status and family structure. Sensation Seekers Their explanation for this finding was that substance abusers are also "sensation seekers" who want high levels of activity and excitement dur- ing free time. When leisure activities don't meet their needs, they get bored, and abuse drugs and alcohol as a means of reducing boredom. Youngkill Lee (1990) arrived at the same conclusion concerning adoles- cents in Korea. In a 1989 article, Edward Smith and Linda Caldwell compared adolescent smokers and nonsmokers in a sample of 1407 Canadian 10th graders. They found that adolescents who smoked reported more boredom during their most frequent leisure activity than adolescents who did not smoke. The researchers concluded that adolescent smokers in their sample spent consid- erable free time in activities that were conducive to boredom and unhealthy behaviors. These studies associating leisure boredom and unhealthy choices are also confirmed by a study Linda Cald- well, Ed Smith and I reported at the 1993 SPRE Leisure Research Sympo- sium. In a sample of 447 college undergraduates, we found that people with more boredom during free time rated themselves as less mentally and physically healthy than people with less boredom. This was true for both men and women. In another study from the 1993 symposium, Mounir Ragheb reported that among a sample of 343 college students, people who were more lonely were also more bored during free time. This is consis- P& R M A R C H 1 9 9 4 a 3 3