Leisure Activity Pattern Among Tribal Paramedical Female College Students of Tripura

The present research study aimed to investigate the varieties of leisure activities chosen by the female paramedical tribal students of Tripura. The study found that, BMI value is within normal range which indicates good health status of the participants and also good impact of leisure activities on health. Most popular leisure activity was found to be internet surfing, followed by dancing, singing, cooking, gardening, physical activities and reading books. No health issues had been reported by the participants.


Introduction
In the fast-paced and demanding world of higher education, the significance of leisure activities for college students cannot be overstated.As young minds navigate the academic rigors and strive for excellence, the need for a healthy balance between work and play becomes increasingly apparent.Leisure activities play a pivotal role in promoting holistic well-being by offering students a valuable opportunity to unwind, recharge, and foster personal growth.Beyond the confines of lecture halls and study rooms, engaging in leisure pursuits provides a crucial outlet for stress relief, creativity, and social connection.This study explores the varieties of leisure activities among tribal female college students of Tripura, emphasizing their role in enhancing mental health, promoting academic success, and contributing to the overall development of well-rounded individuals.Lots of research work has been put forwarded so far regarding the effect of leisure activities on academic performance of the college students of various countries (Erinjeri & Lobo, 2023;Turkson et.al., 2021;Leung & Lee, 2012).According to these research workers, any type of leisure activity enhances the academic performance of the students of any education standard.More emphasis has been given on the context of effect of leisure activities, rather than variations of leisure activities.Variation of leisure time activities not only unfolds the point of interest of the student, but also points out the hidden talents of the same.In many cases the variation helps to find out the cultural influence on the life and activities of the student.Much work on leisure activity has been done on junior high school students of Ghana (Turkson et.al., 2021), secondary education students of Spain (Álvarez Muñoz & Hernández Prados,2023), French teenagers (Lieury et.al., 2014) and many more.Asper the literature review data, no research study on the variations of leisure time activities of the tribal female paramedical college students of Tripura has been done so far.The present research workers attempted to study in detail the different types of leisure activities the female tribal college students are involved with interest so far.This study will also highlight the cultural influence on the subjects taken into study.

Material and methods
Female college students between the ages of 19 and 21 who were selected from tribal groups were the subjects of this cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in paramedical colleges throughout West Tripura between October 2023 and December 2023.All of the subjects gave their informed consent, and the exclusion criteria included having at least one obese parent, taking medication for a condition for longer than three months, smoking and drinking regularly, having a history of diabetes mellitus in the family, and/or having genetic health issues.An anthropometric measurement tool and weighing machine are used to measure height (cm) and weight (kg) and computed their Body Mass Index (BMI).Leisure activity pattern was noted with the help of face-to-face interview method.A total of 92 female tribal students were participated in this study.

Results
A total of 92 tribal female students responded.The baseline characteristics of the students are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Baseline health parameters of the subjects under study
The variations of leisure time activities are shown in Chart 1.
It is clear from chart 1 that most involving leisure activity among the tribal female college students is internet surfing.Out of total 92 participants, 34 students are involved in internet during their leisure period which is almost 37% of the total population studied.A total of 32 female students have chosen dancing as their leisure time activity, which is almost 35% of the total participants.The third most popular leisure activity among female tribal college students is singing.Almost 12% of the total participants prefer singing Regarding dancing as the second most popular leisure activity, It can be stated that, tribal female population of Tripura love to maintain their traditions and also to live and mingle within same group of people.In most villages and towns their most famous dance is a group dance named Hozagiri, which is very skilful and require a group to perform.Other dance forms like Garia, Jhum, Maimita, Masak Sumani, Lebang boomani etc are popular among different tribes.So, from their childhood they are associated with dance which is also a part of their tribal festivals and culture.

Conclusion
The present study found that Tribal female paramedical college students are involved in different types of leisure activities.The most popular among all is internet surfing, within which chatting is given the first preference.Next to internet surfing is dancing which reflects the rich cultural heritage of the community.Third most popular leisure activity is found to be singing which also reflects the cultural face of the tribal people.All leisure activities mainly aim to reduce the whole day academic stress.

Limitations
The study samples are subject to limitations pertaining to age, educational attainment, and communal standing.The homogeneity of the samples may be reflected in the results.Samples from various age groups should be included in future research to provide a fair comparison with non-tribal counterparts.The study's scope was limited to the western region of Tripura.There may be additional regions included.

Funding Nil
./m 2 ) 21.7 ± 4.45   during their leisure periods.Physical activity comes next to singing and 8 participants are found to be engaged in that.This constitutes almost 9% of the total population under study.Only 4 students spend their leisure time doing cooking and they are 4% of the total population surveyed.Gardening has been chosen as leisure activity by only 2 students (2% only).Only one student opted reading books during leisure time of the day (1% of the whole population).Chart 2 clearly shows the varieties of internet using by the participants under survey.Out of 34 internet surfers, during leisure time, 14 students chat with friends mostly and families.Next most popular segment is games.A total of 12 students out of 34, love to play games in internet.A total of 4 students watch movie in their leisure period and 3 students mainly listen music.Only one digital creator is found who prepare contents for Facebook and Instagram account.Chart 3 indicates the popular dance activities of the tribal female paramedical students as leisure activity.As it is clear from the chart that 72% of the total participants, who opted dancing as their leisure activity is involved in Hozagiri dance which is a very popular dance among the tribal females of Tripura, specially in the Reang communities.Bollywood dance is practiced by 6 females who constitutes 19% of the total participants who chose dance as their leisure activity.Only 9% (3 participants) do some other dance like Garia, Jhum, Maimita etc. Regarding singing, most of the students practice tribal songs and few of them have fond of singing trending Bollywood songs.Mostly freehand morning exercises are included under physical activity category.Some of the participants use to practice yogic poses regularly.Regarding cooking, they love to cook traditional includes dry fish and godok.Gardening includes potting seasonal flowering plants.The one participant who love to read books during leisure period, have a fond of reading horror stories.DiscussionTripura is a northeastern state of India, known for its rich cultural diversity and vibrant tribal communities.The state is home to various indigenous tribes, each contributing to the unique tapestry of Tripura's social fabric.The major tribes in Tripura include the Tripuris, Reangs, Jamatias, and Halam, among others.These tribal communities have preserved their distinct customs, languages, and traditional practices over the centuries, adding to the state's cultural mosaic.The picturesque landscapes of Tripura are dotted with tribal villages, where traditional craftsmanship, folk dances, and rituals are integral aspects of daily life.In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the enrollment of tribal girls in colleges across Tripura, highlighting a positive shift towards empowering women through education.Many overcome socioeconomic challenges and geographic barriers to access higher education, showcasing their tenacity and determination.Female students from tribal communities actively participate in cultural events, showcasing traditional dances, music, and art forms that contribute to the vibrant college atmosphere.The presence of these tribal female college students not only fosters diversity but also contributes to breaking gender stereotypes, fostering a new generation of empowered women who aspire to make a positive impact on their communities.Regarding the primary choice of leisure activity by tribal female college students under study, internet surfing comes in first position.Lots of work has been done regarding the keen interest of students at all levels, for internet(Li et.al., 2021; Salarvand et.al., 2022; Yang et.al., 2022; Zenebe et.al., 2021).Some research workers tagged this interest as 'addiction', which is harmful for the health as well as academic interest of the student community.With the broad use of internet, the whole world came within the palm of the hand of us, which has both helpful as well as detrimental effects on human being and their social gesture.The value of BMI (Kg/m 2 ) has been found to be normal among these students which indicate a good health status of the students(Sengupta et.al; 2023).So, it can infer from the present study that internet use during leisure period does not harm the overall physique of the female college going tribal students of Tripura studying paramedical courses.Most of the students reported to do chatting with family and friends during leisure time, which relaxes them from the stress of entire day.As reported, they also discuss their notes through chatting and exchange assignments and class notes during leisure time.Online games are also popular leisure activity among students, as they relax their mind through it.Some research work has been done on internet use by paramedical students worldwide.Johani et.al.(2020) studied internet use rate of paramedical student of Urmia and stated that the rate of online dependency is moderate, and students lack sufficient awareness about internet addiction.If internet use is not controlled and excessive, it can have both positive and bad effects.Bazrafshan et.al.(2019) studied the relationship of depression and internet use on the paramedical students of Iran and stated that if used without self-control, internet use may cause depression among students.There is a moderate incidence of addiction among students without significant gender disparities, according to a cross-sectional study conducted among medical and paramedical students in many Iraqi colleges (Kamil & Yousif, 2022).Shirazi et.al.(2016) conducted a research work involving nursing students of paramedical college.The results demonstrated a substantial relationship between depression and Internet addiction in nursing students of Hazrat Zainab school of nursing and Gerash Paramedical School, located in the southern portion of the Fars province.Asper the literature review, no work has been done on variation in leisure activity among paramedical female tribal college students of Tripura.