Differences in leisure time across middle‐generation adults in Wroclaw, Poland: Examining the usefulness of the “sandwich generation” category

• Published date: 01 October 2022
• Author: Małgorzata Synowiec‐Piłat,Michał Jędrzejek,Beata Zmyślona
• Date: 01 October 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12676

RESEARCH

Differences in leisure time across middle-generation

adults in Wroclaw, Poland: Examining the usefulness

of the “sandwich generation”category

Małgorzata Synowiec-Piłat

1

| MichałJędrzejek

2

|Beata Zmy

slona

3

1

Department of Health Humanities and Social

Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University,

Wroclaw, Poland

2

Kreatywnie dla Zdrowia Foundation,

Wroclaw, Poland

3

Department of Statistics, Wroclaw University

of Economics and Business, Wroclaw, Poland

Correspondence

MichałJędrzejek, Kreatywnie dla Zdrowia

Foundation, ul. G

ornicza 61/8, 54-136

Wroclaw, Poland.

Email: michaljedrzejek@gmail.com

Funding information

The study was financedby the Wroclaw City

Authority (contractNo. D/WZD/19A/68/2018).

The results presentedin this publication are part

of the research report t itled “Beneficialor

Harmful to Health?Sociological Analysis of the

Lifestylesof Wroclaw Inhabitants”(original

title: Zkorzy



sciądla zdrowiaczy na jego szkodę?

Analiza socjologicznastylu życia Wroclawian),

carried outin 2018 under the statutory activities

of the Kreatywniedla Zdrowia Foundation.

Statisticalanalysis of data was cofinanced:

SUB.A150.20.001(Wroclaw Medical

University).

Abstract

Objective: Research objectives were (a) to determine the

amount of leisure time available to middle-generation

adults (35–54 years of age) and (b) toexplore the relation-

ship between leisure time and sociodemographic variables

(gender, age, work status, marital status, and number of

children).

Background: An adequate amount of leisure time is an

important lifestyle element, significantly determining over-

all health. Considerable leisure-time deficits currently

observed in developed economies are related to significant

change in intergenerational relations within families.

Method: In 2018, a study was carried out on the popula-

tion of adult inhabitants of Wroclaw, Poland (N=898).

The survey method was used based on an interview

questionnaire as the research tool.

Results: Half of the respondents declared less than

20 hours of leisure time per week. Deficits of leisure time

affect mainly people aged 35 to 54 years, with women

being more affected than men. Moreover, the amount of

leisure time in the middle generation of Wroclaw inhabi-

tants declines as people become more involved in their

careers (a statistically significant relationship).

Conclusion: It seems reasonable to undertake and improve

the analysis of leisure time in the context of the middle-

generation adult who may be experiencing the sandwich

generation phenomenon.

Implications: There is a need to implement social and

health-oriented interventions to counteract leisure-time

deficits among the middle generation, with a particular

emphasis on the social situation of women.

Received: 15 December 2020Revised: 16 May 2021Accepted: 19 July 2021

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12676

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2022;71:1747–1761. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 1747