Leisure participation and enjoyment among the elderly: Individual characteristics and sociability

Using data from a national survey of adults in Taiwan, this study explored how often older adults participate in and how much they enjoy 2 mostly-solitary leisure activities (reading books and watching TV/DVDs/videos) and 2 mostly-social leisure activities (socializing with friends and engaging in physical activities). According to ordinal regression analyses of these 4 dependent variables, individual characteristics (such as age, health, education level, and rural/urban residence) significantly contributed to older adults' leisure participation and enjoyment. More importantly, such participation and enjoyment also varied by the extent of sociability (social contacts, a preference for being with others, and a desire for making friends through leisure activities).