Limitations

Limitations

The limitations of this research consisted of the time period and demographic selected. University students varied significantly in age but most of the data came from those aged 18-46 who have hobbies that differed from others much older or younger. Only the hobbies of the participants of this study were included; therefore, there were likely other hobbies—specifically from different age groups—that were not be studied. With technological advancements, there may be new hobbies discovered in the future that will not be considered presently. The timeline for the survey was limited to late 2021, nearing the possible end of Alberta’s fourth wave of Covid-19. The survey asked participants to answer questions about their mental health over the course of the pandemic. Conducting a similar survey in the middle of a new wave or at the end of one may have led to much different answers from participants. Additionally, it is difficult to measure the mental health of students based on only survey questions. The survey did not ask questions that were too personal such as any past medical history of students that may have more clearly determined any mental health issue. The questions of the survey required long-form answers, enabling participants to provide as much detail as they felt necessary. Given that some questions were subjective, some answers were too short to gather accurate data.