Centre for Policy on Ageing



The relationship between reasons for activity and older adult well-being
Author(s)	Kelly M Everard
Journal title	Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol 18, no 3, September 1999
Pages	pp 325-340
Keywords	Recreation ; Well being ; Statistical relations ; United States of America.
Annotation	This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between activity and well-being, by examining the reasons for older people's activity as moderators of the relationship. The sample of 249 active older people living in the community was selected from the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging volunteer pool. They completed a questionnaire of demographic, health and activity items. Participants indicated whether they engaged in each of 44 activities, how routinely they engaged in each, and the reasons for each activity. Results from hierarchical regression analysis showed that activities engaged in for social reasons positively related to well-being, and activities engaged in to pass the time related negatively to well-being. Total number of activities and the number of routine activities did not relate to well-being. These findings suggest that engaging in more activities does not necessarily enhance well-being, and that the reasons for engaging in activities are important for older people's well-being. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-991022203 A
Classmark	H: D:F:5HH: 3YH: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.