The influence of meaningful leisure on the subjective well-being of older adults in the Basque Country of Northern Spain

The Basque Country in northern Spain provides a regional context for a study of the impact of leisure on subjective well-being in later life. A sample of 755 residents of the three provinces of the Basque Country completed surveys that included measures of serious leisure, other leisure patterns and subjective well-being. Ten males and 10 females from this sample were interviewed for their stories of leisure experience in later life. Quantitative analysis of the survey data suggests a small, but statistically significant influence of serious leisure involvement, innovative activity involvement and volunteerism on several measures of subjective well-being. Qualitative interview data demonstrate that such influences are either enhanced or inhibited by family and social dynamics, and that the meaning derived from activity involvement requires an understanding of the family and community context. The use of mixed methods is recommended for further investigation of this subject.