Leisure Activities in Very Old Age: Prevalence and Links to Well-Being in (Near-)Centenarians

Introduction: This study examined leisure activity engagement among (near-)centenarians and its association with two aspects of well-being: life satisfaction and purpose in life. We analyzed specific activity types and their combinations, as well as three activity parameters: the total number of activities, the variety of different higher-order activity types, and the distribution of activities across these types (i.e., activity diversity). Methods: We pooled data from two comparable studies conducted in the U.S. and Germany, yielding a final sample of N = 134 participants aged 96 to 107. Activity engagement was assessed using open-ended questions, with responses coded into 12 activity types further used to compute the activity parameters. Results: Common activities included watching TV, social activities, and experiential activities (e.g., reading). General activity parameters—number, variety, and diversity of activities—were not related to well-being. Life satisfaction correlated positively with physical and experiential activities and negatively with developmental activities (e.g., visiting a museum). Purpose in life was positively linked to experiential activities. Specific engagement patterns of these activity types, rather than overall activity levels, best predicted well-being outcomes. Conclusion: Our results contrast prior findings from younger-old samples, suggesting that the relevance of activity types for well-being may shift in very late life. This supports theories emphasizing emotionally meaningful and less demanding activities as more beneficial with increasing age. Findings underline the need for interventions that enable personally relevant forms of engagement to support life satisfaction and purpose in the oldest old.