AN ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW OF THE PHYSICAL RECREATION HABITS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN RECREATION STUDIES AT ESZTERHÁZY KÁROLY CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The connection between sports and health is one of the most prominent areas in health behavior research today, as regular physical activity has a ripple effect, positively influencing other dimensions of health (Pfau & Mészáros, 2021). University students’ lifestyles and daily rhythms differ significantly from those of the general population (Bocsi, 2008), and their leisure time usage is characterized by a high degree of variability (Vitányi, 1995). According to Bocsi’s (2008) research, the total average time spent on freely chosen activities by university students (329 minutes) is higher than that of the Hungarian population aged 15-74 and follows a pattern similar to that observed in the 15-19 age group. T he aim of this research is to examine the specificities of students’ time allocation through a time-budget study and to explore how the values and norms of their academic training manifest in their lifestyle and daily routines. The study is based on a survey conducted among recreation studies students at Eszterházy Károly Catholic University (hereinafter EKCU) and aims to provide insight into their sports-related habits. The time-budget study was complemented by a self-reflective assessment, in which students’ professional insights and satisfaction with their lifestyle were evaluated. T he findings indicate that students devote more attention to physical exercise than the national average (cf. KSH, 2012; Domokos et al., 2020) and report a higher subjective qual ity of life. The majority (n = 51) expressed satisfaction with their current lifestyle and would not opt for any changes. Third-year students have significantly more socially constrained time, with a notable portion allocated to employment. In contrast, second-year students spend an average of six more hours per week on extracurricular courses and approximately 4.5 fewer hours on passive leisure activities. Significant differences were observed primarily between full-time and part-time stu dents regarding socially constrained time, as second-year part-time students work nearly 20 hours more per week on average than their full-time counterparts. However, by the third year, this discrepancy is reduced by half.