Social and leisure activity profiles and well-being among the older adults: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

Studies highlight the beneficial effects of social and leisure activities on the well-being of aging people. Our aims were: to investigate activity profiles among older adults living in their own homes, to highlight potential changes in profiles over a period of five years and to examine effects of differences between these profiles on well-being variables.

METHODS

Three waves were considered in this longitudinal study, with 550, 410 and 374 people (76, 79, 82 years on average), respectively. We used cluster analysis to obtain activity profiles of social and leisure activities, ANOVAs with age and external variables (satisfaction with life, time occupation satisfaction, self-esteem and depression) to explore differences between cluster groups, and chi-square tests of association to explore whether the same individual belonged to the same activity profile over time.

RESULTS

The number of clusters decreased strongly from the first wave to the other two waves (n = 7 to n = 2 and 3). Two main types of activity differentiated the profiles: social activities (voluntary work and associations) and recreational activities outside the home/at home. The activities showed no systematic or strong effects on external variables, nevertheless for the oldest subjects when comparing the less active to the more active (recreational profile and social profile) the latter expressed a greater satisfaction of time occupation and self-esteem, and lower scores of depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Such activities could be an indicator of a certain independence (physical and mental availability) which plays a strong role in the well-being of older adults.

Work and the Family in Later Life: The Effects of Role Stressors, Role Enhancement, and Role Conflict on Self-Perceptions on Aging

The growing aging workforce comprises older workers with a concurrent family role. Guided by life span development and role theories, the primary study hypothesis was that rewards and stressors in the family and work domains would impact self-perceptions on aging because of the enhancement and conflict between these domains. The study sample consisted of workers older than 50 years with at least one of four family roles (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, and grandparent) from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study ( N = 5,628). Results showed that self-perceptions on aging were impacted directly by family and work stressors and indirectly by these stressors through work-family enhancement and conflict . Work and family roles are thus crucial to the identity of adults in later life.

Biopsychosocial and Retirement Factors Influencing Satisfaction With Life: New Perspectives

Founded on expectation confirmation theory and a resource perspective, this research examines the impact of retiree resources, retirement planning, conditions of work exit, and confirmation of retirement expectations on satisfaction with life in retirement. The study of 543 retirees found significant effects of retiree resources (i.e., self-efficacy, health, and income), confirmation of retirement expectations, ageism, retirement planning, and conditions of exit on retirees' satisfaction with life. The study also showed that self-efficacy, activity participation, health, income, ageism, and retirement planning significantly impacted confirmation of retirement expectations, although conditions of exit did not significantly affect confirmation of retirement expectations.