Leisure constraints have been increasingly recognized as significant factors influencing individuals’ participation in leisure and recreational activities. While the Leisure Constraints Questionnaire (LCQ) has been widely utilized across diverse populations and contexts, research examining the LCQ’s psychometric properties and applicability specifically within the Korean context remains limited. This gap is particularly notable because the cross-cultural validity of measurement instruments cannot be assumed; the LCQ may function differently in Korean populations due to cultural differences in leisure participation patterns, safety perceptions, gender roles, and social norms. Furthermore,, few studies have rigorously examined the psychometric properties of the LCQ using contemporary measurement approaches. Thus, the purpose of the study was to determine whether the LCQ would be appropriate to measure individuals’ leisure constraints levels in Korea. The convenience sampling was utilized in this research from the two regions of Korea. The Korean version of LCQ (KLCQ) was administered to 480 individuals after removing 18 surveys due to incomplete questions. The WINSTEPS program was employed to analyze the Rating scale fit; Differential Item Functioning (DIF); Item fit; and Person-Item map using Rasch rating scale model. The results indicated that the four-point Likert-type KLCQ was appropriate to utilize. DIF analysis revealed that 22 of 29 KLCQ items were suitable for assessing leisure constraints levels. Two items had overfit or misfit but these were included as the DIF bias. Overall, 22 items were finally selected for KLCQ. Additionally, the person–item map indicated a strong alignment between respondent ability levels and item difficulty. The newly reconstructed KLCQ would be recommended to evaluate individual leisure constraints in future studies. In addition, the validated KLCQ shows potential as a useful tool for examining leisure constraints across Korean adults’ population, offering practical insights for leisure and recreation practitioners, professionals, and researchers. Expanding both the size and diversity of future samples would help clarify the extent to which these results extend beyond the current study group.
Dongwook Cho (Fri,) studied this question.