Cited by 558Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness ManagementPhysical Activity and HealthPsychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 67 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being

Open access

Pressman, Sarah D., Matthews, Karen A., Cohen, Sheldon, Martire, Lynn M., Scheier, Michael, Baum, Andrew, Schulz, Richard·2009·Psychosomatic Medicine

DOI 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ad7978PMC PMC2863117

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether engaging in multiple enjoyable activities was associated with better psychological and physiological functioning. Few studies have examined the health benefits of the enjoyable activities that individuals participate in voluntarily in their free time. METHOD: Participants from four different studies (n = 1399 total, 74% female, age = 19-89 years) completed a self-report measure (Pittsburgh Enjoyable Activities Test (PEAT)) assessing their participation in ten different types of leisure activities as well as measures assessing positive and negative psychosocial states. Resting blood pressure, cortisol (over 2 days), body mass index, waist circumference, and perceived physiological functioning were assessed. RESULTS: Higher PEAT scores were associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, and body mass index, and perceptions of better physical function. These associations withstood controlling for demographic measures. The PEAT was correlated with higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression and negative affect. CONCLUSION: Enjoyable leisure activities, taken in the aggregate, are associated with psychosocial and physical measures relevant for health and well-being. Future studies should determine the extent that these behaviors in the aggregate are useful predictors of disease and other health outcomes.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ad7978

Cites

65 of 65 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population
Radloff, L. S. (1977) · Applied Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/014662167700100306 · Cited by 53,267 · cited 1×
“Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (31), a scale that correlates well with other measures of depressive symptoms and is used widely in diverse populations ( 0.”
Method
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4 · Cited by 35,234 · cited 3×
“Sleep behaviors were assessed using a modification of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (38), an eight-item scale with the ability to distinguish reliably between good and poor sleepers ( 0.83).”
MethodInfluential
The satisfaction with life scale
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13 · Cited by 31,768 · cited 2×
“Global life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale (32) ( 0.87) where participants rate how much they agree with self-descriptive sentences about their satisfaction of life.”
MethodInfluential
The Scree Test For The Number Of Factors
Cattell, R. B. (1966) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr0102_10 · Cited by 13,554 · cited 1×
“Scree Plot extraction method (29), one factor emerged in the PEAT (Eigen-”
Method
SF-36 health survey: Manual and interpretation guide
Ware, J. (2003) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 11,424
Handbook of Positive Psychology
(2001) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195135336.001.0001 · Cited by 9,158
Social Relationships and Health
House, J. S., Landis, K. R., & Umberson, D. (1988) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.3399889 · Cited by 7,073
The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework
Kaplan, S. (1995) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2 · Cited by 6,923 · cited 1×
“These activities typically involve little mental effort, provide a sense of “being away,” maintain engagement, and match the person’s interests and abilities providing relief from the concerns that normally occupy the mind (2,3).”
Background
What good are positive emotions?
Fredrickson, B. L. (1998) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.300 · Cited by 6,066 · cited 1×
“This may be due to the presence of PA (but not a lack of NA) encouraging exploration, creativity, and socialization corresponding to the Broaden and Build theory of positive emotions (55).”
Background
Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments
Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0272-4944(05)80184-7 · Cited by 5,990

Show all 67 references

Sorted by citations

Items 201–300 of 556

Affective mediators of the association between pleasant events and global sleep quality in community-dwelling adults
Tighe, C. A., Shoji, K. D., Dautovich, N. D., Lichstein, K. L., & Scogin, F. R. (2015) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-015-9666-x · Cited by 8
“More time spent engaging in pleasurable activities has also been associated with greater positive affect (Pressman et al., 2009), a more recently identified, correlate of sleep (Ong et al.”
Restorative activities among bereaved caregivers of nursing home patients
Stahl, S. T., & Schulz, R. (2018) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2017.12.014 · Cited by 8
Self-citation
Disability, Life Satisfaction and Participation in Sports
Pagán, R. (2018) · International handbooks of quality-of-life · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-75529-8_20 · Cited by 8
Within-Person Associations Among Self-Perceptions of Memory, Depressive Symptoms, and Activity Participation in Older Adults
Hill, N. L., Mogle, J. A., Bhargava, S., Bratlee‐Whitaker, E., Wion, R. K., Sweeder, L., Sliwinski, M. J., & Barnes, L. L. (2020) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnaa208 · Cited by 9
Productive engagement, sleep-wake disturbances, and loneliness: SEM analysis of depressive symptoms of community-dwelling Chinese elders
Fu, Y., & Ji, X. (2021) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1867824 · Cited by 8
“Previous studies have suggested that more frequent engagement in leisure activities results in a greater reduction in depressive symptoms (Fern andez-Fern andez, M arquez-Gonz alez, Losada-Baltar, & Romero-Moreno, 2014; Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
A qualitative exploration of psychosocial well‐being experiences in a South African rural community
Koen, V., & Robertson, N. D. (2021) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.22590 · Cited by 11
WHY DO AMERICANS SPEND SO MUCH MORE ON HEALTH CARE THAN EUROPEANS?
He, H. Z., Huang, K. X. D., & Ning, L. (2021) · International Economic Review · doi:10.1111/iere.12527 · Cited by 8
Participation in leisure activities and binge drinking in adults: Findings from a Swedish general population sample
Andersson, A., Andersson, C., Holmgren, K. E., MÅRDBY, A.-C. M., & Hensing, G. K. E. (2011) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.3109/16066359.2011.596595 · Cited by 8
“…leisure activities, such as social, cultural and physical, is associated with an overall improvement in physical health, psychological wellbeing, quality of life and survival (Konlaan, Bygren, & Johansson, 2000; Pressman et al., 2009; Wilkinson, Waters, Bygren, & Tarlov, 2007; Zambon et al., 2010).”
Background
Psychological Restoration Practices Among College Students
Altaher, Y., & Runnerstrom, M. G. (2018) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2018.0019 · Cited by 8
“This finding supports previous studies that suggest enjoyable leisure activities result in psychological well-being (Pressman et al., 2009; Zawadzki, Smyth, & Costigan, 2015).”
Result
Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors Among Centenarians in Nanjing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Xu, X., Zhao, Y., Xia, S., Cui, P., Tang, W., Hu, X., & Wu, B. (2020) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-020-02399-4 · Cited by 7
Relation of Leisure Time, Occupational, Transport Physical Activity, and Inactivity Behavior to Stress, Subjective Health and Health-related Quality of Life
Park, G.-N. (2018) · 한국체육학회지 · doi:10.23949/kjpe.2018.03.57.2.23 · Cited by 8
Perspective on Leisure Sports Participation Among Older Adults in a Super-Aging Society: Focusing on Health Concern, Athletic Passion, Leisure Satisfaction, and Intent to Continue Participating in Leisure Sports
Jun, M.-G., & Choi, C. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13010041 · Cited by 7
“Older adults may have difficulty participating in certain leisure activities, regardless of their voluntary intentions, because of their relatively degenerated physical abilities [18,19].”
Leisure activity participation, health status, and subjective well-being of adult women: a cross-sectional study from a life cycle perspective in China
Xiao, N., Ma, Y., Zhao, Y., Li, P., Li, Z., & Yang, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570705 · Cited by 7
Early-life exposome and health-related immune signatures in childhood
Amine, I., Anguita‐Ruiz, A., Guillien, A., Basagaña, X., Bustamante, M., Borràs, E., Cirach, M., Dėdelė, A., Dobaño, C., García‐Aymerich, J., et al. (2025) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109668 · Cited by 6
Job Autonomy on Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Leisure Activities
Dong, R., Song, L., Yang, Y., & Ni, S. (2025) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440251357822 · Cited by 11
Digitalization, Psychological Well-Being, and the Third-Level Digital Divide: Survey Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Lin, F., Jin, L., & Chen, X. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/48195 · Cited by 9
“Similarly, online entertainment can lead to positive well-being outcomes, serving as a coping mechanism to alleviate feelings of depression and isolation while helping individuals to “recharge their batteries” [74].”
Aging in contemporary India: A qualitative inquiry
Bandyopadhyay, S., & Singh, K. K. (2023) · Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment · doi:10.1080/10911359.2023.2267102 · Cited by 7
“Leisure engagement has been found to confer a wide range of positive physical and psychological benefits to older people (Pressman et al., 2009; Sala et al., 2019).”
Adherence to the 24-hour movement behavior guidelines and depression risk among older adults from the United States
Zamora, A. N., Walia, A. S., & King, A. C. (2025) · Journal of Activity Sedentary and Sleep Behaviors · doi:10.1186/s44167-024-00071-7 · Cited by 10
“These actions could potentially lead to patterns that meet guideline thresholds, while lacking the vital psychological benefits of leisure-based activities [49, 50].”
Positive Mental Health of Finnish People Living Alone: The Role of Circumstantial Factors and Leisure-Time Activities
Pasanen, T., Tamminen, N., Martelin, T. P., & Solin, P. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18136735 · Cited by 8
“[28] on the overall importance of enjoyable leisure-time for mental well-being.”
Background
Exploring the Influence of Perceived Epidemic Severity and Risk on Well-Being in Nature-Based Tourism—Taking China’s Post-1990 Generation as an Example
Wang, D., Liu, H.-L., & Shen, C.-C. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su141811133 · Cited by 7
Positive life experiences and mortality: Examination of psychobiological pathways.
Podber, N., & Gruenewald, T. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine (1967) · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116192 · Cited by 6
“Leisure activities have also been associated with lower waist circumference and body mass index, in addition to lower cortisol and blood pressure (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
Psychological Resources and Self-rated Health Status on Fifty-year-old Women
Olchowska-Kotala, A. (2015) · Journal of Menopausal Medicine · doi:10.6118/jmm.2015.21.3.133 · Cited by 7
“Previous research suggests that not only the amount of leisure time but also types of leisure activities is relevant for health and well-being.(42) Similarly, regarding vacation not only duration,(47) but also frequency(48) and the way an individual organizes their vacation makes a difference in regard to health-relat…”
Background
Fatigue and Insufficient Leisure Opportunities in Older Employees
Haluza, D., & Blasche, G. (2016) · Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine · doi:10.1097/jom.0000000000000794 · Cited by 8
The Impact of Hypermobile “Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome” and Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder on Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships
De Baets, S., De Temmerman, M., Calders, P., Malfait, F., Van Hove, G., Vanderstraeten, G., De Wandele, I., & Van de Velde, D. (2022) · Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences · doi:10.3389/fresc.2022.832806 · Cited by 6
“Support for exploration and intimate interactions can also increase participation in leisure activities (23, 25).”
Background
What Do You Do Outside of Work? When and Why Disclosing Eudaimonic Leisure Activities Increases Competence Perceptions and Consumer Choice
Daniels, M. E., Samper, A., & Morales, A. C. (2025) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucaf004 · Cited by 7
Occupational Therapy for the Head and Neck Cancer Patient
Park, P., & Hashmi, M. A. (2018) · Cancer treatment and research · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-65421-8_13 · Cited by 6
Serious leisure activities and well-being of senior citizens: Case of contract bridge
Brkljačić, T., Sučić, I., & Brdovčak, B. (2018) · Rocznik Andragogiczny · doi:10.12775/ra.2017.011 · Cited by 6
“This social dimension is not in accordance with findings of Scott and Godbey (1994) who reported that tournament players in their research did not regard friendship as integral to their bridge involvement.”
BackgroundResult
Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Serbest Zaman Tutumları ile Serbest Zamanda Sıkılma Algıları Arasındaki İlişki
Serdar, E., & Demirel, D. H. (2022) · Gençlik Araştırmaları Dergisi · doi:10.52528/genclikarastirmalari.939150 · Cited by 6
Research on the Relationships Among the Gender Consciousness, Social Support, and Wellbeing in Taiwan College Female Athletes
Pan, H.-W., Huang, W.-Y., & Wu, C.-E. R. (2022) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440221097895 · Cited by 6
Introversion and the frequency and intensity of daily uplifts and hassles
DeMeo, N. N., Smyth, J. M., Scott, S., Almeida, D. M., Sliwinski, M. J., & Graham‐Engeland, J. E. (2022) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/jopy.12731 · Cited by 6
Spanish Validation of the California Older Person's Pleasant Events Schedule (COPPES)
Márquez‐González, M., Losada‐Baltar, A., Rider, K. L., & López‐Pérez, B. (2014) · Clinical Gerontologist · doi:10.1080/07317115.2013.868851 · Cited by 6
Reported restorative experiences associated with everyday activities among university students
Atler, K. E., & Sharp, J. L. (2019) · British Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/0308022619859158 · Cited by 7
Frequency of leisure travel and psychological well-being in pharmacists: the sequential mediating roles of perceived stress and social support
Rehman, S., Ahmad, J., Khan, A., & Alotaibi, K. A. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03191-0 · Cited by 7
“These results align with Pressman et al.’s (2009) [67] conclusion that engaging in enjoyable leisure improves mood and fosters stronger interpersonal ties, reinforcing the plausibility of the observed sequential mediation pathway in the current study.”
The impact of cultural leisure activities participation on older adults’ subjective well-being: an empirical study in China
Ji, R., Sheng, Y., Zheng, C., & Chen, W. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-24986-1 · Cited by 5
“First, cultural leisure activities participation showed a positive correlation with both the psychological and physiological health of older adults (Pressman et al., 2009; Chang et al., 2014) [21, 22].”
Analysis of the factors affecting the time spent on leisure activities by using an ordered logit model
Mahdi, A. J., & Esztergár‐Kiss, D. (2023) · Transportation Letters · doi:10.1080/19427867.2023.2266189 · Cited by 5
“As a result, conducting various leisure activities supports a healthy lifestyle (Pressman et al. 2009).”
Well-being balance and lived experiences: understanding the impact of life situations on human flourishing
Brydges, C. R., Thérond, A., & Norris, T. W. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1516729 · Cited by 10
Conscientious consumers? Personality, preferences and expenditures in the UK
Volland, B. (2018) · Journal of Bioeconomics · doi:10.1007/s10818-018-9276-0 · Cited by 5
Profiles of behavioral, social and psychological well-being in old age and their association with mobility-limitation-free survival
Saadeh, M., Hu, X., Dekhtyar, S., Welmer, A., Vetrano, D. L., Xu, W., Fratiglioni, L., & Calderón‐Larrañaga, A. (2022) · Aging · doi:10.18632/aging.204182 · Cited by 5
Effects of choir singing on physiological stress in Japanese older adults: its relationship with cognitive functioning and subjective well-being
Shoda, H., Tabei, K., Abe, M., Nakahara, J., Yasuda, S., Williamon, A., & Isaka, T. (2023) · Arts & Health · doi:10.1080/17533015.2023.2258934 · Cited by 6
“When seeking to manage stress, the literature shows that enjoyable leisure activities are associated with psychosocial and physical measures relevant for health and well-being (Pressman et al., 2009; Yoshida et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021).”
Healthy couple, better sleep: Exploring connections and changes in couple relationship education participants
Wei, M., Adler‐Baeder, F. M., McGill, J. M., & Novak, J. R. (2024) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.12987 · Cited by 5
Direct and Moderating Causal Effects of Network Support on Sleep Quality: Findings From the UC Berkeley Social Network Study
Child, S. T., Ruppel, E. H., Zhong, M., & Lawton, L. E. (2020) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa082 · Cited by 5
“Additionally, given that sleep quality has a reciprocal relationship between positive affect and the report of daily stressors [18, 31], it remains difficult to tease apart whether satisfaction with available social support leads to better sleep quality or if poor sleep quality leads to negative affect and subsequent…”
Background
Participating in Different Activities and Their Association with Mental Health Problems in the Working Disabled Population in Korea
Chon, D., Moon, J. Y., & Kim, J.-H. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19148348 · Cited by 5
Heterogeneity Matters: Predicting Self-Esteem in Online Interventions Based on Ecological Momentary Assessment Data
Bremer, V., Funk, B., & Riper, H. M. (2019) · Depression Research and Treatment · doi:10.1155/2019/3481624 · Cited by 7
“[64], who found that enjoyable leisure activities are related to factors for well-being, we show that enjoyed activities significantly increased the self-esteem.”
Background
Motivations, experiences and outcomes of playing videogames
Kaye, L. K. (2012) · CLOK (University of Central Lancashire) · Cited by 5
Journal Special Issues
Sawyer, R. K., & Henriksen, D. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197747537.005.0004 · Cited by 5
Teaching on the Edge: How Workload Drives Burnout among Malaysian Educators
Ani, S. C., Zake, N. A. M., Akbar, N. A. A., Ramzi, N. A. N., & Zamziba, N. A. M. (2025) · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v15-i5/25130 · Cited by 4
“Pressman et al (2009) find that by doing these enjoyable activities it may serve as breathers that give them the chance to take a break thus inducing positive emotions and reducing mental fatigue.”
The impact of limited sucrose intake on perineuronal nets of parvalbumin interneurons in the basolateral amygdala: A potential role in stress resilience
Nashawi, H., Foltz, C. T., Smail, M. A., Buesing, D. R., Herman, J. P., & Ulrich‐Lai, Y. M. (2024) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114774 · Cited by 4
Validation of the Korean Version of the Engagement Meaningful Activity Survey
남효진, 남석인, & 강수진 (2018) · Korean Journal of Gerontological Social Welfare · doi:10.21194/kjgsw.73.2.201806.79 · Cited by 4
A Longitudinal Dyadic Study of Six Leisure Activities in Swedish Couples During the Transition to Parenthood
Zheng, L. R., Naurin, E., Markstedt, E., Olander, P., Elden, H., & Lindén, K. (2023) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-023-01351-3 · Cited by 4
“…activities, however, is that they are activities that individuals take part in during their free time (Dattilo & Kleiber, 1993; Demirbaş, 2020; Pressman et al., 2009; Stebbins, 2005) and excludes activities related to paid work and unpaid care work (domestic labor and childcare) (Craig &…”
Background
Leisure, Well-Being, and Quality of Life in the Digital Age: Social Media and Online Communities as Leisure Settings
Ho, C.-H. (2023) · International handbooks of quality-of-life · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-31513-8_38 · Cited by 5
Enhancing university students’ academic self-efficacy: the roles of leisure experience, nostalgia, and positive emotions
Cho, H., & Lee, Y. H. (2023) · Asia Pacific Journal of Education · doi:10.1080/02188791.2023.2270172 · Cited by 5
“Participating in physical activity, for example, helps individuals to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, decrease stress and mood disturbance, and socialize with others (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Measurement invariance of the satisfaction with leisure satisfaction scale by gender, marital status, and age
Köse, E., Gökçe, H., Toktaş, N., Lapa, T. Y., & Kaas, E. T. (2024) · Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica · doi:10.1186/s41155-023-00282-y · Cited by 4
“It is emphasized that there is a strong relationship between LS and participation, and individuals who get a high level of satisfaction from leisure activities tend to participate more in activities and feel less depression and anxiety (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
Exploring the Perceptions of Construction Workers and Senior Management Towards Mental Wellness Interventions Using Q-Methodology
Stoddard, E., Bhandari, S., Sherratt, F., Bone, L., & Russell, S. (2024) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph22010052 · Cited by 6
Goods–Time Elasticity of Substitution in Health Production
Du, J., & Yagihashi, T. (2016) · Health Economics · doi:10.1002/hec.3446 · Cited by 4
YAŞLI ERKEK HÜKÜMLÜLERİN PSİKO-SOSYAL İHTİYAÇLARI ÜZERİNE NİTEL BİR İNCELEME
Ocaklı, B. Ö., & Duyan, V. (2020) · Toplum ve sosyal hizmet(Online)/Toplum ve sosyal hizmet · doi:10.33417/tsh.734649 · Cited by 4
Tangible dynamic changes in resilience, nutrition, and leisure activity of older patients with cardiovascular disease and possible sarcopenia: A longitudinal study
Lee, S., Tung, H., Liu, C., Wei, J., & Chen, L. (2021) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1016/j.archger.2021.104416 · Cited by 4
Preferences for travel and tourism activities: contributions of personal skills and perceived travel benefits and stresses
Nghiêm-Phú, B. (2021) · World Leisure Journal · doi:10.1080/16078055.2021.1961165 · Cited by 4
“Leisure benefits can generate significant effects on participants’ quality of life, including life satisfaction and well-being (Heintzman & Mannell, 2003; Nimrod, 2007; Pressman et al., 2009; Sirgy et al., 2017).”
Background
The Potential for Socially Integrated and Engaged Lifestyles to Support Cognitive Health With Aging
Stine‐Morrow, E. A. L., Worm, T. W., Barbey, A. K., & Morrow, D. G. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197528976.003.0013 · Cited by 4
Substituting Leisure for Health Expenditure: A General Equilibrium-Based Empirical Investigation
He, H., Huang, K. X. D., & Hung, S.-T. (2013) · 2013 Meeting Papers · Cited by 4
Striving for mental vigor through restorative activities: Application of the Campbell Paradigm to construct the Attitude toward mental vigor scale
Beute, F., Kaiser, F. G., Haans, A., & de Kort, Y. A. W. (2017) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2017.09.001 · Cited by 4
“Collectively, activities such as spending quiet time by oneself, attending club meetings, going out for meals with friends and relatives, visiting family and friends, and being in parks and other outdoor settings, have proven supportive for people's health and stress levels (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
NATURE OF SPENDING LEISURE TIME AMONG THE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
Das, S., Barman, P., & Barman, P. (2019) · Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews · doi:10.18510/hssr.2019.75116 · Cited by 4
“These activities may be physical exercise, games, and sports, various types of social activities, etc. (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
Leisure Behavior Among Adolescents
Padhy, M., Padiri, R. A., & Chelli, K. (2020) · The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/9781119171492.wecad470 · Cited by 4
Leisure Activities and Healthy Aging
Zhang, K., & Zhang, W. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_611-1 · Cited by 4
Why Do Americans Spend so Much More on Health Care than Europeans? A General Equilibrium Macroeconomic AnalysisPreprint
He, H., & Huang, K. X. D. (2013) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2229496 · Cited by 4
Impact of firefighters’ work schedule on cardiovascular disease risk, wellbeing and safety in firefighters: protocol for the SWIFT study, a multidisciplinary prospective and cross-sectional study
Abdelmoaty, W. F., Watkins, S. L., Ayeni, A., Hurtado, D. A., McHill, A. W., Biggs, J. J., Hegmann, K. T., Shea, S. A., Bodner, T., & Bowles, N. P. (2025) · BMJ Public Health · doi:10.1136/bmjph-2024-002427 · Cited by 6
The impact of leisure activities on the subjective well-being trajectory of Chinese residents: an 11-year longitudinal study
Wang, G., Sabran, K., Wang, Y., Yu, Y., Huang, L., & Li, J. (2026) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-026-06588-3 · Cited by 3
Predictors of happiness and satisfaction with life in individuals from the Brazilian general population who use social networks: a cross-sectional study
de Camargos, M. G., Paiva, B. S. R., de Oliveira, M. A., de Almeida, C. S. L., Giacomoni, C. H., & Paiva, C. E. (2021) · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · doi:10.1590/0102-311x00164020 · Cited by 3
“203 Urban 26 (21-30) Rural 27 (23-30) Government funding program < 0.”
Influential
Social Structural Differences in Qualitative Perspectives on Well-Being
Boylan, J. M., Adams, M., & Boehm, J. K. (2024) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-024-10344-7 · Cited by 3
“These topics have been noted as correlates of well-being in prior research (e.g., Blustein, 2008; Masters et al., 2023; Pressman et al., 2009; Steptoe, 2019).”
“The very process made me happier!” Is pleasure research an affective intervention?
Kozlowski, D., Provost, S., & Kern, M. L. (2024) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2024.2394441 · Cited by 3
“…experiences and a range of indicators of psychological well-being (Carr et al., 2021; Koydemir et al., 2021; Pan et al., 2022) and health (Pressman et al., 2009; van Steenbergen et al., 2021), we wanted to test the effect of participating in research focusing on pleasure on participants’…”
The paths to subjective and eudaimonic well-being: which aspects of leisure matter?
Seung, J.-C., Kono, S., & Ito, E. (2024) · Leisure/ Loisir · doi:10.1080/14927713.2024.2420134 · Cited by 2
“Extant research has revealed that engaging in creative leisure activities that provide enjoyment, fulfillment, and opportunities for self-expression can contribute to higher levels of life satisfaction (Pressman et al., 2009).”
Development of the Leisure Activity Scale for young adults: Reliability and validity
Kinkawa, R., Ono, M., Horiuchi, S., Kikkawa, M., Ito, S., Shimasaki, A., Tamada, Y., Masuya, J., Honyashiki, M., & Inoue, T. (2025) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports · doi:10.1002/pcn5.70070 · Cited by 3
“12 13 In summary, the previous methods for evaluating leisure activities had the following limitations: they did not cover a variety of leisure activities other than physical activities, they were not quantifiable and lacked simplicity, and they were difficult to apply to young adults.”
Work engagement and well-being among software developers: the moderating role of emotional deprivation in working from home and hybrid work
TORTUMLU, M., & Uzun, K. (2025) · International journal of organizational analysis · doi:10.1108/ijoa-11-2024-4985 · Cited by 5
Adapting After Adversity: Application and Outcomes from Resilience-Based Curricula
Ray, E. C., Oehme, K., Perko, A., Bradley, L., & Yoder-Maina, A. (2025) · Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma · doi:10.1080/10926771.2025.2490941 · Cited by 4
“…sleep (American Academy of Sleep Medicine [AASM], 2017; CDC, 2016; Hershner & Shaikh, 2020; Milojevich et al., 2016), and how engaging in hobbies (Pressman et al., 2009) and finding social support can help support resilient responses to adversity (Hostinar, 2015; Hostinar & Gunnar, 2015;…”
Less Engagement in Pleasurable Activities Is Associated With Poorer Quality of Life for Veterans With Comorbid Postdeployment Conditions
McAndrew, L. M., Held, R. F., Abbi, B., Quigley, K. S., Helmer, D. A., Pasupuleti, R. V., & Chandler, H. K. (2016) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1037/mil0000139 · Cited by 3
Wounded Healers: Coping with Vicarious Trauma among Mental Health Professionals
Salvilla, G. B., & Bedoria, C. J. S. (2021) · Philippine Social Science Journal · doi:10.52006/main.v4i4.433 · Cited by 4
“According to the study of Pressman et al. (2009), they found evidence of an association between having multiple types of leisure activities and psychological and physical well-being.”
Background
Associations between Depression Symptoms and Leisure Behavior during the COVID-19 State of Emergency
Kulbin, K., & Kask, K. (2022) · Leisure Sciences · doi:10.1080/01490400.2022.2036275 · Cited by 3
“Similar items have been used in the PEAT scale (Pressman et al., 2009), which has been used to measure associations between leisure engagement and multiple psychological outcomes (e.g., Goodman et al., 2016).”
Method
Participation in Sports Clubs during College Is an Important Factor Associated with School Counselors’ Participation in Leisure Time Activities
Wu, P., & Ke, Y.-P. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19095632 · Cited by 4
Leisure and spiritual well-being: A response to Bouwer and Van Leeuwen
Heintzman, P. (2021) · Leisure/Loisir · doi:10.1080/14927713.2021.1945945 · Cited by 3
The Role of the Mind-Body Connection in Children with Food Reactions and Identified Adversity: Implications for Integrating Stress Management and Resilience Strategies in Clinical Practice
Lee, O., Mascarenhas, M. R., Miccio, R., Brown-Whitehorn, T. F., Dean, A., Erlichman, J., & Ortiz, R. (2023) · Children · doi:10.3390/children10030563 · Cited by 3
“However, “resilience” in children may manifest through their utilization of aspects of their environment for emotional self-regulation and coping [20]; for example, engaging activities such as play and hobbies, or interacting with peers and supportive caregivers [2,21,22].”
Background
The evolving impact of engaging in leisure activities towards life quality: A longitudinal study of elderly in the UK
Aroean, L., Gölgeci, İ., & Usrey, B. (2023) · The International Journal of Health Planning and Management · doi:10.1002/hpm.3725 · Cited by 3
MFM: A Multiple-Features Model for Leisure Event Recommendation in Geotagged Social Networks
Wu, Y., Peng, X., Niu, Y., & Gui, Z. (2023) · Electronics · doi:10.3390/electronics13010112 · Cited by 3
Exploring women's experiences of healing from sexual trauma through engagement in mind–body practices: A systematic review
Nixon, M. A. (2024) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.12747 · Cited by 3
Development and Validation of the Subjective Well-Being Resources Scale
Cankardas, S., Atak, I., & Şimşek, Ö. F. (2024) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.2024.2316063 · Cited by 4
“Leisure activities have essential outcomes such as better social relationships, health, and success as we consider SWB resources (Brajša-Žganec et al., 2011; Pressman et al., 2009).”
Background
Theater-based interventions as a means of reducing social isolation and loneliness, facilitating successful aging, and strengthening social cognition in older adults
McDonald, B., Reiter, A. M. F., & Kanske, P. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1364509 · Cited by 3
Evaluating Stress Level and Its Effect on the Quality of Life among Pharmacists Working in Baghdad Teaching Hospitals
Yosif, T. H., Ali, A. S., Mikhael, E. M., & Mohammed, S. I. (2025) · Al-Rafidain Journal of Medical Sciences · doi:10.54133/ajms.v8i1.1661 · Cited by 3
Personality Change in the Light of Relationship Transitions in Partnered and Single Individuals: Study Protocol of a Prospective Measurement Burst Design
Grob, A., Weidmann, R., Wünsche, J., Burriss, R. P., Bühler, J. L., Traut, A. C., Uhlich, M., Arnold, K., & Gander, F. (2025) · Swiss Psychology Open · doi:10.5334/spo.90 · Cited by 3
Perceived occupational gaps among the Ugandan general population - A pilot study
Guidetti, S. G. E., Utbult, M., Kamwesiga, J. T., & Eriksson, G. M. (2019) · South African Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.17159/2310-3833/2019/vol49n3a4 · Cited by 3
“Several studies have found associations between participation in leisure activities and positive outcomes such as self-perceived health and quality of life 25-27 .”
Identifying Leisure Perceptions and Activities of EFL Teachers in Home Isolation during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Yücedağ, C., & ÇETİN, M. Ç. (2020) · DergiPark (Istanbul University) · Cited by 3
The Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dengan Aktivitas Leisure
Wahyuni, E. S., & Prasetyaningsih, R. H. (2020) · Jurnal Empathy Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · doi:10.37341/jurnalempathy.v1i2.19 · Cited by 3
Spanning the Creative Space between Home and Work: Leisure Time, Hobbies and Organizational Creativity
Davis, L. N., Karin Hoisl, C., & Davis, J. (2014) · Cited by 3
Sudden Changes and Their Associations with Quality of Life during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study in the French-Speaking Part of Switzerland
Duay, M., Morgiève, M., & Niculita‐Hirzel, H. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18094888 · Cited by 4
The Handbook of Wellness Medicine
Snellings, J. E. (2021) · Family Medicine · doi:10.22454/fammed.2021.204951 · Cited by 3
Prevalence of depression and anxiety among university students during COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A cross sectional study
Rezvi, M. R., Hossain, M. R., & Haque, F. (2022) · Mental Health Global Challenges Journal · doi:10.56508/mhgcj.v5i2.140 · Cited by 3
Estimated effects of perceived sleep deprivation on psychological well-being during college
Richter, M. A., Teague, M., Pascarella, E. T., Morphew, C. C., Coulter, J., & Baldus, C. M. (2015) · doi:10.17077/etd.zribwffq · Cited by 3
Creating Well‐Being among Older People
Lu, L. (2017) · doi:10.1002/9781118993811.ch23 · Cited by 3
Does How You Get Paid at Work Affect Your Time Off Work? The Relationship between Performance-Related Employment Contracts and Leisure ActivitiesPreprint
Andelic, N., Allan, J., Bender, K. A., Powell, D., & Theodossiou, I. (2024) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4786056 · Cited by 2
Changes in narratives about aging among older adults in an internalized ageism intervention.
Murphy, D. J., Jacob, J. E., Mackenzie, C. S., & Porter, M. M. (2025) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2025.2521367 · Cited by 2
“These shifts are significant considering that engaging in meaningful leisure activities has been linked to better physiological as well as psychological functioning, greater life satisfaction and lower levels of negative mood and depression (Mackenzie & Abdulrazaq, 2021; Pressman et al., 2009).”
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATION TO RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND THE SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: AN APPLICATION ON ACADEMICIANS
SÖNMEZ, N. K. (2023) · Trakya Üniversitesi sosyal bilimler dergisi/Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler dergisi · doi:10.26468/trakyasobed.1170317 · Cited by 2
Investigation of Serious Leisure Time Perceptions of Street Basketball Players in Terms of Different Variables
YAZICI, N. A. (2023) · Journal of Education and Recreation Patterns · doi:10.53016/jerp.v4i1.79 · Cited by 2
Examining the Role of Leisure in Navigating Spousal Death: A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study of Widowhood
Sweeney, T. P., & Zorotovich, J. (2023) · Journal of Ageing and Longevity · doi:10.3390/jal3040021 · Cited by 2

Authors: Pressman, S. D., Matthews, K. A., Cohen, S., Martire, L. M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R.
Affiliations: National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author: Matthews, Karen A.
ORCID: Pressman, Sarah D.
Matthews, Karen A.
Cohen, Sheldon
Martire, Lynn M.
Scheier, Michael
Baum, Andrew
Schulz, Richard
Venue: Psychosomatic Medicine
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published: 2009-09
Volume: 71
Issue: 7
Pages: 725-732
ISSN: 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ad7978
PMC: PMC2863117
OpenAlex: W2033377155
Cited by: 558
References: 67
Citations by year: 2026: 38 · 2025: 78 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 90 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 14
FWCI: 13.01
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Locations: Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
KiltHub Repository (submittedVersion)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
KiltHub Repository
Funders: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL 076858, HL07650, HL 076852, R24HL076852, R24HL076858)
Topics: Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Keywords: leisure, psychological well-being, physical well-being, blood pressure, cortisol, body mass index, waist circumference, depression, negative affect
MeSH terms: Activities of Daily Living, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Blood Pressure, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Leisure Activities, Male, Middle Aged, Personal Satisfaction, Physical Fitness, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Health Behavior

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Self-check

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks