Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being

Abstract

Objective-To examine whether engaging in multiple enjoyable activities was associated with better psychological and physiological functioning. Few studies have examined the health benefits of the enjoyable activities that individuals participate in voluntarily in their free time.Method-Participants from four different studies (n = 1399 total, 74% female, age = 19-89 years) completed a self-report measure (Pittsburgh Enjoyable Activities Test (PEAT)) assessing their participation in ten different types of leisure activities as well as measures assessing positive and negative psychosocial states. Resting blood pressure, cortisol (over 2 days), body mass index, waist circumference, and perceived physiological functioning were assessed.Results-Higher PEAT scores were associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, and body mass index, and perceptions of better physical function. These associations withstood controlling for demographic measures. The PEAT was correlated with higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression and negative affect.Conclusion-Enjoyable leisure activities, taken in the aggregate, are associated with psychosocial and physical measures relevant for health and well-being. Future studies should determine the extent that these behaviors in the aggregate are useful predictors of disease and other health outcomes.

Quality of life in breast cancer: the benefits of pet ownership and participation in leisure activities

“…However, this domain was not significant in the same evaluation for pet owners. So, for the leisure activities, this fact is in accordance with other studies that claim that these moments are associated with physical improvement to health and well-being 18,29 .…”

“…Still, the results of this research show that leisure activities improve the QoL of these patients. Some other authors support these findings, arguing that leisure activities can improve the physical function, promote social interactions and improve health and psychological well-being in adults [18][19][20] . Pets are believed to enhance the feelings of autonomy and self-esteem in their owners 5 .…”

Dimensions of self-selected leisure activities, trait coping and their relationships with sleep quality and depressive symptoms

“…The first is depressive symptoms (Van Dam & Earleywine, 2011). Not only is engagement in leisure activities effective in reducing depressive symptoms, but the more frequent the engagement, the greater the reduction in depressive symptoms (Fernández-Fernández, Márquez-González, Losada-Baltar, & Romero-Moreno, 2014;Pressman et al, 2009). …”

Behavioral activation for depression in older adults: Theoretical and practical considerations

“…Although activity restriction (e.g., Williamson & Shaffer, 2000) and infrequent participation in social and leisure activities (e.g., Adams et al, 2004; C. T. Lee et al, 2012) are associated with depression in older adults, engagement in activities is related to greater psychological well-being (e.g., Gautam, Saito, & Kai, 2007;Jenkins, Pienta & Horgas, 2002;Pressman et al, 2009) and may mediate the negative impact of functional limitations on depression (Benyamini & Lomranz, 2004). The empirically demonstrated inverse relation between activity engagement and mental health outcomes in later life adds further support to the applicability of behavioral models for the development and treatment of LLD.…”