Later‐life satisfaction: Does leisure contribute?

Abstract “Activity theories”; of aging as well as the common wisdom in recreation presume that greater activity leads to greater satisfaction with life in later years. Research, however, has produced conflicting results. Review and meta‐analysis of previous research on the contribution of leisure and social activity to subjective well‐being has produced a sequence of questions: (1) Do frequency and breadth of participation in leisure activity contribute to later‐life satisfaction? (2) Do some types of activity contribute more than others? (3) Do the types of activity that contribute most to subjective well‐being differ with age? Results of a telephone survey of 400 adults age 40 and above demonstrate the independent contribution of leisure to life satisfaction. Social activity and travel are associated with higher levels of life satisfaction for those age 65–74 and family and home‐based activity for those age 75 and over. Both the “core”; model of leisure and the tendency toward constriction of activity contexts in later years are supported. Leisure in later life is found to provide a context for interaction with significant others and for self‐investment.