Latent profile analysis of participation in organised leisure activities across urban neighbourhoods : implications for educational equity

Abstract

Class-based parenting approaches assume that children in working-class environments participate less in extracurricular activities than those in affluent areas. However, there is a mediating role played by parents navigating out-of-school educational opportunities and neighbourhood risks, also shaped by families' ethnic and migration ties. This article explores the diverse patterns of participation in organised leisure activities among primary school children in disadvantaged areas. We use latent profile analysis on survey data from three Barcelona neighbourhoods (N = 731). To identify patterns, we measure the intensity and breadth of children's participation across public, private, community, and home settings, both at school and outside it. The analysis reveals seven participation profiles in organised leisure activities, with migration status shaping the differentiated use of educational spaces. These patterns indicate disparities in access to the breadth and quality of activities and help to identify the challenges of school-based programmes in mitigating segregation during children's free time