Centre for Policy on Ageing



Participation in leisure activities by older adults after a stressful life event — the loss of a spouse
Author(s)	Ian Patterson
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 42, no 2, 1996
Pages	pp 123-142
Keywords	Bereavement ; Widows ; Widowers ; Recreation ; Stress ; Social surveys ; Australia.
Annotation	This interview study of recently bereaved widows and widowers (aged 50 to 84) living in Brisbane, Australia, aimed to establish whether frequent participation in leisure activities helped them to adapt to widowhood and to maintain lower stress levels. Leisure activities most frequently participated in were home based, involving social activities with family and friends. Greater participation in leisure activities was negatively correlated with stress scores, suggesting an association between leisure participation and stress reduction for those recently bereaved. However, the study failed to find any association between participation in leisure activities and adaptation after the death of a spouse. There were no significant differences in age, gender, income and type of employment of widows and widowers, although perceived health status was a significant factor in determining future participation in leisure activities.
Accession Number	CPA-970731214 A
Classmark	DW: SP: SPA: H: QNH: 3F: 7YA
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.