In 1986, the world witnessed the worst nuclear power accident in history at Chernobyl. Today, Chernobyl has become a popular site for dark tourism. This autoethnographic study seeks to determine whether Chernobyl has an outstanding universal value to merit designation as a UNESCO heritage site. Precedents for dark heritage sites include Auschwitz-Birkenau and Hiroshima. Their common elements are historic tragedy, the expression of strength and hope of humanity, and a symbol for change. Chernobyl is a historic tragedy. The heroism among first responders and liquidators provides hope in humanity. Chernobyl has led us to ponder the pros and cons of nuclear power. Chernobyl meets the criteria as a potential UNESCO dark heritage site, but would require the financial support of the Ukrainian government and a commitment to ensuring a safe and valuable tourism experience.

The aim of this paper was to investigate associations between engagement in various types of leisure activity and alcohol use among Ukrainian adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1075 adolescents who were enrolled in the Family and Children of Ukraine birth cohort study using a self-administered questionnaire to determine how they prefer to spend their leisure time and their use of alcohol. Use of social media was associated with a higher risk of ever having used alcohol (OR = 2.11; 95%CI: [1.40–3.19]), used alcohol in the past 12 months (OR = 2.60; 95%CI [1.73–3.90]), and used alcohol in the past 30 days (OR = 2.35; 95%CI [1.50–3.70]). Visiting entertainment establishments (discos, recreation centers) was associated with a higher risk of ever used alcohol (OR = 1.84; 95%CI [1.33–2.56]), used alcohol in the past 12 months (OR = 2.09 95%CI (1.52–2.87), and used alcohol in the past 30 days (OR = 2.29; 95%CI [1.65–3.17]). Reading books was protective against using alcohol in the past 12 months (OR = 0.59; 95%CI [0.42–0.82] and the past 30 days (OR = 0.47; 95%CI [0.35–0.63]). Engaging in cultural leisure activities was protective against alcohol use in the past 30 days (OR = 0.72; 95% CI [0.54–0.95]). We conclude that among Ukrainian adolescents, engagement in sports, social media use and visiting entertainment establishments are associated with increased risk for alcohol use while reading books and engaging in cultural leisure activities are protective.

The aim of this paper was to determine if there is an association between personality traits and engagement in tourism among Ukrainian adolescents. The study population consisted of 1075 adolescents and their mothers/caregivers who participated in the Family and Children of Ukraine birth cohort study. The adolescents self-reported how they prefer to spend their leisure time and also completed the revised Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). We found that engagement in tourism was significantly associated with better school performance and higher socioeconomic status. Adolescents who engage in tourism also had significantly higher Extraversion and lower Neuroticism scores on the EPI. The associations of tourism engagement with these personality traits remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and school performance. We conclude that personality traits are important predictors of Ukrainian adolescents' engagement in tourism.

The aim of this paper was to determine whether engagement in tourism is associated with risky behaviors among Ukrainian adolescents. The study sample consisted of 1075 adolescents who were enrolled in the "Family and Children of Ukraine" birth cohort study. They self reported how they prefer to spend their leisure time as well as their smoking, drinking, and sexual behaviors. The adolescents also completed the revised Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). Engagement in tourism was not associated with smoking or alcohol use. It was associated with ever having had sexual relations (OR=1.63; p=0.022) and with having had recent sexual relations (OR=1.67; p=0.037). These associations were stronger for males than females. Adolescents who had ever had sexual relations and those who had recent sexual relations had significantly higher extraversion scores on the EPI than adolescents who had not (18.16 vs 16.65; p=0.002 and 18.45 vs 16.72; p = 0.002, respectively). In multivariable analyses, ever having sexual relations and having recent sexual relations were significantly associated with male gender, age, and marginally associated with extraversion, but not with tourism. The authors conclude that among Ukrainian adolescents, the association between engagement in tourism and sexual behavior is mediated by personality, specifically higher extraversion.

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