Children and Youth Leisure Surveys chart the leisure time of children and young people living in Finland. The series began life as Youth Leisure Surveys, but the target population was later expanded to also include children aged 7 or older. From 2024 onwards, the target group has again been restricted to individuals aged 10-29.
The surveys primarily focus in life and activities occurring outside of school, work and other institutions, with particular emphasis on media use, hobbies and physical activity. In addition to repeated questions, there is a changing main theme on each collection round.
In the interview survey Children and Youth Leisure Survey 2022, the leisure time and hobbies of people aged 7-29 were examined. In this year's survey, the main theme was the pleasantness of participation in hobbies. The interview questions differed slightly according to the age of the respondent, and a few questions were also asked of the parents of those under 15.
At first, a few background questions were asked of respondents aged 15-29. For those under 15, the questions were asked of their parent. The questions concerned gender, municipality of residence, and mother tongue. After this, the amount of children's and young people's leisure time and the prevalence of participation in hobbies were examined. The prevalence of participation in hobbies was examined, for example, by asking whether the respondent had any hobbies or would like to have a hobby. If the respondent did not have any hobbies, reasons for not participating in hobbies were asked. Questions related to participation in hobbies were also asked of the parents of children under 10.
Next, the respondents were asked about the hobby that took up most of their time and their most pleasant hobby. The respondents were asked to assess how different descriptions applied first to the hobby that took up most of their time and then to their most pleasant hobby, as well as how they travelled to these hobbies. After this, the respondents' views on being in nature were examined. In addition, reasons for discontinuing a pleasant guided hobby were examined. The respondents were also asked about experiences of inappropriate treatment or behaviour in hobbies. The interview also examined the respondents' views on the accessibility of hobbies. In addition, the effects of the COVID-19 period on participation in hobbies were examined using various statements.
After this, respondents aged 10-29 were asked about membership of organisations and participation in organisational activities. In addition, the respondents were asked to assess their satisfaction with different areas of life. Finally, respondents aged 15-29 were asked for further background information, such as their level of education, whether they had any functional limitations, and whether they felt they belonged to a minority.
The background variables in the data include age, gender, mother tongue, major regions NUTS2, type of neighbourhood, education, and economic activity.
The aim of the data collection was to obtain a sample of 1,400 respondents corresponding to the target population. The target population was quota-sampled by two genders (girls and boys), three language groups (Finnish, Swedish, and other), and five age groups (7-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, and 25-29 years). The sample was thus quota-sampled according to 30 strata (2 × 3 × 5). In early February 2022, a stratified random sample of 40,000 individuals was requested from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, in accordance with the defined strata. Telephone numbers were obtained for 19,312 individuals, corresponding to approximately one third (32%) of the sample. As the strata quota-sampled for the 15-29-year-old age groups were not filled, an additional sample of 20,000 individuals was requested from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in early March. Ultimately, the data were collected using a total sample of 60,000 individuals. Of all calls made (42,579), 8,357 were unanswered, 671 numbers were not in use, 681 numbers did not yield an eligible respondent, 7,908 individuals refused to participate, and 294 interviews were terminated after having been started. Including pilot interviews, a total of 1,401 telephone interviews were conducted between February 9 and March 24, 2022.
Prior to the main data collection, the data collection agency, Iro Research Oy, conducted pilot interviews to test the functionality of the questionnaire and to assess interview duration. The pilot interviews were carried out during the second week of February, and a total of 33 pilot interviews were conducted. The pilot interviews were included in the final dataset.
The Finnish-language questionnaire consisted of age-group-specific questionnaires that were combined into a single instrument. In the age groups under 15 years, the respondent's guardian was contacted in order to obtain permission for participation and to agree on the interview time.