A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life

Abstract

An engaged lifestyle is seen as an important component of successful ageing. Many older adults with high participation in social and leisure activities report positive wellbeing, a fact that fuelled the original activity theory and that continues to influence researchers, theorists and practitioners. This study's purpose is to review the conceptualisation and measurement of activity among older adults and the associations reported in the gerontological literature between specific dimensions of activity and wellbeing. We searched published studies that focused on social and leisure activity and wellbeing, and found 42 studies in 44 articles published between 1995 and 2009. They reported from one to 13 activity domains, the majority reporting two or three, such as informal, formal and solitary, or productive versus leisure. Domains associated with subjective wellbeing, health or survival included social, leisure, productive, physical, intellectual, service and solitary activities. Informal social activity has accumulated the most evidence of an influence on wellbeing. Individual descriptors such as gender or physical functioning sometimes moderate these associations, while contextual variables such as choice, meaning or perceived quality play intervening roles. Differences in definitions and measurement make it difficult to draw inferences about this body of evidence on the associations between activity and wellbeing. Activity theory serves as shorthand for these associations, but gerontology must better integrate developmental and psychological constructs into a refined, comprehensive activity theory.

Baby boomer caregiver and dementia caregiving: findings from the National Study of Caregiving

“…Previous studies have noted that maintaining an active life through leisure and social activities is related to increased well-being [23][24][25]. It is possible that caregiving demands may reduce opportunities to enjoy leisure and social time for the boomer CGs and therefore may be more likely to experience conflicts between caregiving and reduced leisure and social time.…”

Family health information sharing among older adults: reaching more family members

“…Therefore, efforts to facilitate FHH dissemination within families should involve informing both older adults and their family members about the importance of collecting and sharing FHH information for the health of all family members. Such efforts will not only help facilitate the primary prevention of chronic diseases among family members but also motivate older adults to engage in generative activity that can bring numerous health benefits to them (Adams et al 2010;Gruenewald et al 2012;Gottlieb and Gillespie 2008).…”

“…The concept of generativity, interest in contributing to the development and well-being of the society and future generations (Erikson 1982;McAdams and de St. Aubin 1992), has been increasingly considered in research concerning the health and well-being of older adults. Older adults with generative desire tend to engage in more social and productive activities (Narushima 2005;Okun 1994) that can facilitate better cognitive, physical (Adams et al 2010;Gruenewald et al 2012;Gottlieb and Gillespie 2008;Yuen et al 2008), and psychological well-being (Greenfield and Marks 2004;Lum and Lightfoot 2005;Wheeler et al 1998). These findings suggest the benefits of facilitating generative activities among older adults to enhance their wellbeing.…”

Analysis of health, functioning and disability of rural inhabitants aged 60–80 living in south-eastern Poland – a cross sectional study

“…Activity and participation are now considered to be particularly important health determinants affecting the wellbeing of older people [3,4]. Older people highly involved in social and recreational activities present [5], better mood, higher self-esteem, identity and good self-assessment of their health [6]. According to Cohen, extensive social relationships influences the improvement of psychological well-being by increasing a community affiliation and reducing the risk of depression [7].…”