Leisure activity and well-being among the elderly in Taiwan: Testing hypotheses in an Asian setting

Zimmer, Zachary; Lin, Hui-Sheng

doi:10.1007/bf00114859

Cited by 43Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness ManagementAging and Gerontology ResearchAging, Health, and Disability

Leisure activity and well-being among the elderly in Taiwan: Testing hypotheses in an Asian setting

Zimmer, Zachary, Lin, Hui-Sheng·1996·Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology

DOI 10.1007/bf00114859

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Abstract

Studies conducted in Western nations suggest hypotheses regarding the relationship between leisure activity and well-being among older adults. For instance, leisure activity is found to increase feelings of emotional well-being, and there are gender differences in both the types of activities in which elders tend to engage and their subsequent influences. This study attempts to verify these relationships among a sample of 4,049 Taiwanese elders (age 60+). Analyses show that men participate in most leisure activities with greater frequency than women; physical activity has the strongest positive influence on emotional well-being; contemplative activity, the only pursuit in which women out-participate men, displays a negative effect for women, and; the impact of different activity types vary by gender. These results both substantiate and refute hypotheses developed in the West, suggesting cultural variation in the impact of activity. Gender differences are explained in the context of role expectations and self-concept development. jg]Key words gw]Life satisfaction gw]Well-being gw]Activity participation gw]Leisure activity gw]Taiwan gw]Elderly.

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Zimmer and Lin (1996) found that women's wellbeing was negatively influenced by greater contemplative activity.
“Zimmer and Lin (1996) found that women's wellbeing was negatively influenced by greater contemplative activity.”
From A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life (2011) · cites this paper as Zimmer and Lin (1996)

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Authors: Zimmer, Z., & Lin, H.-S.
Affiliations: University of Michigan (US)
ORCID: Zimmer, Zachary
Venue: Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 1996-06
Volume: 11
Issue: 2
Pages: 167-186
ISSN: 0169-3816 (ISSN-L)
1573-0719
DOI: 10.1007/bf00114859
OpenAlex: W2079073247
Cited by: 43
References: 28
Citations by year: 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4
FWCI: 0.73
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
Keywords: leisure activity, well-being, older adults, emotional well-being, life satisfaction, gender differences, physical activity, role expectations, self-concept, cultural variation

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Leisure activity and well-being among the elderly in Taiwan: Testing hypotheses in an Asian setting

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