"Far as I get is the clothesline": the impact of leisure on women's health and unpaid caregiving experiences in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the unique ways in which caregiving and leisure are conceptualized and mediated among diverse groups of female caregivers (n = 98) in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Data were obtained through 17 focus group discussions between March and June of 2002. Findings reveal that the contexts within which caregivers experience the health effects of caregiving create meanings, opportunities, and challenges for leisure. This study of diverse caregiving experiences fills a significant gap in the existing literature by integrating considerations of subjectivity and the ways in which caregiving influences women's perceptions and engagement in leisure pursuits. Constructivism guides the interpretive framework upon which the data were analyzed; results inform recommendations relative to policy and program audiences associated with unpaid caregiving.