SENSE OF WELLBEING AMONG FEMALES WITH AND WITHOUT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Background: Women often experience barriers to engaging in recreational activities due to the heavy burden of household responsibilities. This lack of participation negatively influences their physical health, psychological well-being, and self-esteem. Considering the rising concerns regarding women’s mental health and the role of lifestyle choices, the present study was conducted to assess the impact of recreational activities on flourishing, physical self-concept, and overall well-being in comparison to women solely engaged in household chores. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between well-being and engagement in recreational activities among women. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study included 424 women, divided equally into two groups: 212 performing only household chores and 212 engaged in recreational activities such as gym workouts, jogging, swimming, or sports. Data were collected using the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) competence and importance scales, along with the Flourishing Scale. A Likert scale graded responses from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0. Cross-tabulation compared well-being variables between groups, and independent sample t-tests determined mean differences, with statistical significance set at p < 0.01. Results: Women participating in recreational activities reported higher confidence in physical conditioning and fitness (mean 3.56 ± 1.05) compared to those engaged in household chores (mean 2.97 ± 1.20). Self-perception of stamina and fitness was also higher among the recreational group (mean 3.48 ± 1.11) than the household group (mean 2.95 ± 1.23). Regarding psychological well-being, the recreational activity group achieved a significantly greater flourishing score (mean 44.98 ± 8.85) compared to the household group (mean 41.56 ± 11.61, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that recreational activities positively influence women’s self-esteem, optimism, body image perception, and psychological well-being. Encouraging women to allocate time for physical and leisure activities may serve as an effective strategy to improve their quality of life and social participation