Understanding why women over the age of 60 continue to engage in a particular physically based leisure activity is important in developing recreational and leisure programs aimed at this population. This research employed means-end theory and the laddering interview technique to better understand the meanings underlying older women's motivations for engaging in sports- versus exercise-based leisure activities. Seventy-nine women (>60 years), engaged in bowling, golfing, swimming, or walking, were interviewed about their reasons for engaging in their activity. Analysis revealed themes of socialization and competition as key values underlying participation. Further, for women who participate in sports-based activities for reasons other than health, the benefits and personal values obtained were similar to women engaging in exercise-based activities for health reasons.
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Berlin et al. (2014) studied this question.
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