IMPACT OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES ON WELL-BEING IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC SITUATION, A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY

Aims Of Study: During COVID-19 people were forced to stay home and this increased the risk of limiting their PA and adaptation of sedentary behaviour hence our objective is to measure the impact of leisure activities on well-being during COVID-19. Methodology: 366 participants were selected, using Non-probability convenient sampling from UOL and PGC. PA and well-being were assessed using IPAQ-short form and WHO-5 well-being questionnaire. Results: IPAQ-short form with well-being Pearson Chi square was 638.012, Spearman correlation was 0.956 and p-value Asymptotic significance (2 sided) was .000 which means there is positive strong correlation between variables. Limitations and Future Implication: Adults having ages 18-40yrs volunteered due to short time period and since our study limited to only 2 settings so to generalize our outcomes for mass population was not feasible. During lockdown gaining past medical history in data collection was impacted, it is suggested to include the role of Physiotherapist in improving health status by PA, create awareness among common population about role of PA and their relation with well-being also including diversity in age groups, ethnicity and localities is suggested. Originality: Strong positive correlation between PA and well-being. Conclusion: This study shows that during Covid-19 pandemic, those individuals who remained physically active had good impact on their health. Being physically active not only improves an individual’s physical fitness level but also helps to cope with psychological problems degrading one’s mental health so our study found out direct relation between physical activity levels and health status.

Determinants of Rural Household Income for Livelihood in Northern-Pakistan

Diverse livelihood strategies have significant socio-economic implication for the livelihood of the rural household. The level and the type of income diversification depend on the accessibility and availability of different income sources. The present research examines the determinants of rural household income with specific objectives to study and identify the different livelihoods sources, and to assess their contribution towards household income. For this purpose a survey was conducted in district Shangla of Northern Pakistan covering 323 households. Using different statistical techniques and econometric models the study finds that ownership of land, livestock, forest, farm machinery, level of education, skill possession, vocational training, access to extension services, village organization membership, decision making power at community level, working relation, labour organization, saving, and remittances significantly contribute towards household income. Diversification of livelihood sources was found common and the reasons responsible for this were the adoption of improved verities of maize crop, improved breeds of livestock, high paid non-farm jobs, seasonal nature of agriculture, and surplus agriculture labour. Significant change was observed after the diversification of household income both from farm and non-farm sources. The result of t-test of diversity indexes was found significant. Average annual income per household before the diversification was Rs. 2,52,578, which increased to Rs. 4,33,390 after the diversification of income, showing an increase of 71.58%. The contribution of the farm livelihood sources towards income of the households after the diversification of income was 30.60% and non-farm income was 69.40%. Farm sources of livelihood contributed more to income inequality while the non-farm sources reduce income inequality among the rural household. The-Gini coefficient found for household income was 0.401. The quantile results show that there is high inequality of income among the rural households. The top quintile households hold about 46 percent of the total income. This growing inequality in income leads to further aggravate the poverty in rural areas. There is great potential for the development of both farm and non-farm livelihood sources but most of the rural dwellers are not equipped to exploit these livelihood sources and hence forced to live below subsistence level. The potential areas that need investment are; dairy farming, improvement in pasture land, increasing herd size, and most importantly development of non-farm sector, which is always neglected while formulation rural development strategies, needs to be included in the policy debates.