scholarly journals Sociodemographic Characteristics and Leisure Participation through the Perspective of Leisure Inequalities in Later Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8787
Author(s):  
Hyejin Yoon ◽  
Eunhee Kim ◽  
Chulwon Kim

This study examined the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and leisure involvement in various meaningful activities under the political economy of aging and life course. The stepwise multiple and ordinal regression model revealed that the individual factors of older adults were significantly associated with leisure involvement: age (younger adults), gender (men), education level (higher education), perceived economic satisfaction (higher satisfaction with their financial condition), and perceived health (higher satisfaction with their health) variables were significantly related to more frequent participation in domestic leisure travel. Additionally, gender and education level were associated with leisure-time exercise; the four variables (gender, education level, economic activity, and perceived financial satisfaction) were related to leisure-time social activities. Contrary to our expectation, older adults who are older and with lower education were more likely to participate in volunteering activities. The results suggested that older adults’ sociodemographic characteristics play an essential role in leisure behavior. The extent to which these characteristics affect leisure participation varies with different types of activities and cultural contexts.

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-260
Author(s):  
Amiya Waldman-Levi ◽  
Asnat Bar-Haim Erez ◽  
Noomi Katz ◽  
Jeanine M. Stancanelli

Cognitive and physical factors affect participation in later life. It is imperative to explore the contribution of emotional factors on older adults’ participation and wellbeing. Seventy-eight older adults were recruited for this cross-sectional study and grouped based on their level of independence. Emotional functioning, hope, cognition, participation, and wellbeing were measured. Analyses of variance, correlational analysis, and prediction models were employed. Significant differences were found between independent and dependent older adults’ participation and wellbeing, F(2, 72) = 12.71, p < .00, η2 = .26. Independent older adults’ participation was predicted by cognition, β = 0.40, and hope, β = 0.58. Wellbeing was predicted by cognition, β = 0.39, emotional status, β = −0.46, and hope, β = 0.36. Dependent older adults’ wellbeing was predicted by emotional status, β = −0.68, and hope, β = 0.32. Occupational therapists play a key role in promoting healthy aging by incorporating psychosocial factors at the individual, community, and societal levels.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S629-S629
Author(s):  
Yihan Wang ◽  
Bongki Woo ◽  
Nan Jiang

Abstract Loneliness is a prevalent social concern among older adults, which calls for attention as a condition itself and its influence on mental and physical conditions. However, limited efforts have been made to understand loneliness, particularly among immigrant older adults. Guided by the ecological perspective, the present study contributes to the literature by providing a systematic review of the prevalence and individual-, household-, and community-level correlates of loneliness among Asian older immigrants, one of the fast-growing immigrant population. Following the PRISMA guideline, we systematically searched eight electronic databases to identify relevant empirical research articles. Of the 828 articles identified, ten articles met the inclusion criteria. Majority of these articles focused on older Chinese and Korean immigrants. On the individual level, migration grief, longer length of residence, and weaker ethnic attachment were linked to higher level of loneliness, indicating that immigration can be a challenging experience for later life well-being of Asian older adults. Other identified correlates include mental and functional impairment and worsening health changes. On the household level, while living alone was a commonly identified correlate of loneliness, those who live with family also reported loneliness when they have fewer interactions with their family members. On the community-level, smaller social network and lack of social support and interactions were correlates of loneliness. The findings of the present study are helpful for identifying older Asian immigrants who may be at risk of loneliness and implicates that the efforts to mitigate the loneliness need to be made at various ecological levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 686
Author(s):  
Rebekka Rohner ◽  
Lisa Hengl ◽  
Vera Gallistl ◽  
Franz Kolland

Literature has widely explored the learning processes with information and communication technology (ICT) in later life, mostly focusing on the individual learner rather than materialities—such as smartphones, notepads, and handouts. The aim of this paper is to introduce a socio-material perspective by focusing on the question: What role do materialities play in digital learning processes in later life? This paper draws upon a situation analysis of data from a qualitative multi-perspective study. Researchers conducted participatory observations of five ICT courses for older adults in Austria and semi-structured interviews with seven trainers and nine older participants (61–81 years). By identifying three social worlds (digital devices, education, and participants’ everyday lives), the findings show how ICT-learning processes are embedded in the everyday lives of older adults and include not only digital, but also everyday materialities, such as pens, paper and books. These material convoys of digital learning in later life are vital in facilitating successful technology appropriation in later life.


Author(s):  
Hyejin Yoon ◽  
Won Seok Lee ◽  
Kyoung-Bae Kim ◽  
Joonho Moon

South Koreans’ life expectancy has dramatically increased over the last four decades. However, the life satisfaction index of older Korean adults has been in the bottom third globally. The large majority of older Koreans spend most of the day watching television at home. However, concrete evidence regarding the effects of leisure involvement on older adults’ quality of later life is scant. Only a few existing studies have examined the link via cross-sectional survey data. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether meaningful leisure participation outside the home in older age plays an essential role in improving life satisfaction. To achieve the research aim, nationally representative panel data from the Korea Employment Information Service were used for the data analysis. The results indicated that social and productive leisure participation in religious activity, social gatherings, and volunteering was significantly related to quality of life in older adults. Moreover, frequent participation in travel and cultural activities outside the home were positively related to life satisfaction. These findings suggest that participation in meaningful leisure activities is a critical factor contributing to subjective well-being and good mental health in older Korean adults and should be encouraged.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 846-847
Author(s):  
Jessica Blaxton ◽  
Niccole Nelson ◽  
Cindy Bergeman

Abstract Research suggests that the within-person inverse relationship between negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) indicates poorer emotional well-being, and this interaffect correlation fluctuates in relation to the context of the individual. Specifically, age, stress, and global PA all relate to changes in the interaffect correlation. The current study uses comprehensive data from the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well Being (NDHWB), which allows us to uniquely examine between-person differences in within-person change and variability in the interaffect correlation, thereby examining these constructs from a process-oriented perspective. Midlife and later life participants (N = 965) completed daily questionnaires assessing stress, NA, and PA. Three-level multi-level models illustrated that the interaffect correlation becomes more negative during times of stress, adults with greater global PA experience a stronger inverse interaffect correlation during times of stress, and days of higher stress relate to a stronger inverse interaffect correlation for older adults compared to midlife adults. The findings illustrate the idiographic nature of these relationships and suggest that later life adults and adults with high levels of global PA undergoing higher than typical stressful situations experience stronger inverse interaffect correlations.


GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.


Author(s):  
Jason M. Holland ◽  
Dolores Gallagher-Thompson

Older adults are increasingly making up a larger segment of the worldwide population, which presents both challenges and opportunities for the clinical psychologist in the 21st century. In this chapter, we address some of the unique aspects of working with this population, focusing on general guidelines for tailoring interventions for older adults, specific treatments for particular problems commonly faced in later life, as well as issues of diversity and how they might impact psychotherapy with older clients. We also outline several areas in geropsychology that are in need of further investigation, namely the use of technology, post-traumatic stress, and family therapy, and offer some recommendations for future directions in this field of study.


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