Activities to alleviate stress and the association with leisure time activities, socioeconomic status, and general health

The aim of this study is to acquire knowledge about what activities people reportedly engage in to relax when feeling stressed. A special focus is on physical activity to reduce stress and the association with socioeconomic status, general health, and leisure time activities. The data are derived from a Danish national health survey, and the variables are studied by statistical correspondence analyses. Results show that physical activity when relaxing from stress is related to an active leisure time, good health, and socioeconomic factors such as high education, employment, and good housing conditions. These findings support earlier research indicating that social inequality plays an important role in the choice of activities for stress reduction.