TIME USE. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE ASPECTS OF GREEK AND EUROPEAN CITIZENS

Abstract

The present paper explores the significant role of the creative time use and its’ consequences as far as it concerns the economic, social and health care aspects in Greece and in European Union. The appropriate time use has been mentioned from the ancient years, but a more completely approach has been reported after the 18^th century.

In Greece the first “Time Use Survey” (TUS) took place by Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) between 2013-2014, but unfortunately ELSTAT is not expected to conduct a new one. The research question is that a no productive time use can lead to economic, social and health care negative effects in Greece and in European countries. The innovation of the paper lies in the fact that the specific scientific area (especially in Greece) has been investigated poorly.

The methodology of this study uses secondary data from Eurostat, Hellenic Statistical Authority and the historical approach of similar literature review.

The paper is structured in four parts. The first part refers to the methodology, the literature review and the limitations of the article (the effects of time use cannot be correlated totally). The second presents the theoretical approaches of the leisure time (origins and significance) form ancient time to the present day. The third evaluates data not only from Greece but also from European Union as regards economic, social and health care aspects such as time use, overweight, mental illness, limited social relationship, work accidents, years of healthy life and food habits. The last refers to the conclusions.

The investigation results (especially for Greece) show that the problem is the unproductive time use. Against creative time contribute the increasing period of studies, the mental illness, the personal opinion of people for themselves and their health condition (GALI index such the myopic glasses and overweight), the overtime work and passive activities, such as watching TV and surfing the internet.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.11.18132