Abstract
This study describes the prevalence of leisure participation for older adults with and without pain. The results show that older adults may not be participating in a variety of leisure, but mostly in passive activities, such as watching television. Those with pain participate in leisure significantly less than those without pain. The results of this study enhance OTs' knowledge of leisure prioritization and participation among older adults.
Primary Author and Speaker: Haley Feller
Contributing Authors: Nancy Baker
As older adults transition into retirement they spend on average 7.17-7.75 hours a day participating in leisure activities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Studies link leisure participation with successful aging (Adams, Leibbrandt, & Moon, 2010); however, current research does not describe the prevalence of leisure participation among older adults nor the effect pain has on participation. This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What is the prevalence of participation in leisure activities for older adults? 2. Do older adults with pain participate in fewer leisure activities than those without pain? This descriptive study increases occupational therapists' understanding of the prioritization of and participation in leisure among the aging population. This study is a secondary data analysis of a large dataset and obtains prevalence at a population level using the University of Michigan's 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (Health and Retirement Study, 2019) as its data source. HRS is a longitudinal panel study consisting of data collected through interviews from adults aged 50 and older across the United States. This study's demographic information stems from data in the 2014 main interview, which had 18,747 respondents. Variables related to leisure participation are based on the 2014 leave-behind questionnaire (n = 7,541). Variables are categorized into three areas: demographic, pain and satisfaction, and leisure. The ten areas of leisure analyzed are: volunteer; help friends and family; attend clubs or meetings; read or write; watch television; use the computer; play games such as cards, chess, or crossword puzzles; do home activities such as home maintenance, gardening, cooking, or baking; do a hobby such as work on a project or knit, and exercise. For each leisure activity, respondents report if they regularly participate, which consists of at least once a month, or do not regularly participate. Frequency, percentage, and 95% confidence intervals of each variable were calculated using Statistical Analysis System version 9.4 from the SAS Institute survey procedures. Demographic majorities were between the ages of 60-69 years (31.6%), female (59.6%), married (59.1%), not working (67.3%), and satisfied with life (95.3%). At least half of the respondents reported regular participation in five of the ten leisure activities analyzed, specifically watching television (98.0%), using the computer (64.5%), doing home activities (55.2%), helping friends and family (52.5%), and exercising (51.6%). One third of respondents reported regularly reading or writing (33.0%). Less than a quarter of respondents reported regularly playing games (23.9%) or doing a hobby (11.6%). While volunteering (8.8%) and attending a club or meeting (2.9%) warranted less than 10% regular participation. Of the 7,541 respondents, 39.1% of respondents reported being troubled by pain. For those with pain, regular participation was significantly lower than those without pain for exercising, volunteering, helping friends and family, using a computer, and doing home activities. This study shows the limited variety in leisure activities older adults appear to regularly participate in. The high response rate for regular participation in watching television may indicate that older adults spend most of their free time engaging in passive activities. Older adults with pain have significantly lower reported rates of participation in leisure activities than those without pain. It is important for occupational therapists to learn of the gaps in participation so that they can collaborate with older adult clients to promote positive health outcomes for successful aging.
Adams, K. B., Leibbrandt,S., & Moon, H. (2010). A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life. Ageing and Society, 31(4), 683–712. 10.1017/s0144686x10001091.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. (2019). American time use survey: 2018 results. Available from: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf
Health and Retirement Study. (2019) RAND HRS 2014 Fat File (V2B) [Public use dataset]. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI.