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Effects of Leisure Participation on Life Satisfaction in Older Korean Adults: A Panel Analysis

Author

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  • Hyejin Yoon

    (Department of Global Tourism, Baewha Women’s University, 34 Pirundae-Ro 1-gil, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 03039, Korea)

  • Won Seok Lee

    (Department of Tourism & Recreation, Kyonggi University, 24, Kyonggidae-Ro 9-gil, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 03746, Korea)

  • Kyoung-Bae Kim

    (Tourism Research Institute, Hanyang University, 413 College of Social Sciences, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul 04763, Korea)

  • Joonho Moon

    (Department of Tourism Administration, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-Gil, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do 24341, Korea)

Abstract

South Koreans’ life expectancy has dramatically increased over the last four decades. However, the life satisfaction index of older Korean adults has been in the bottom third globally. The large majority of older Koreans spend most of the day watching television at home. However, concrete evidence regarding the effects of leisure involvement on older adults’ quality of later life is scant. Only a few existing studies have examined the link via cross-sectional survey data. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether meaningful leisure participation outside the home in older age plays an essential role in improving life satisfaction. To achieve the research aim, nationally representative panel data from the Korea Employment Information Service were used for the data analysis. The results indicated that social and productive leisure participation in religious activity, social gatherings, and volunteering was significantly related to quality of life in older adults. Moreover, frequent participation in travel and cultural activities outside the home were positively related to life satisfaction. These findings suggest that participation in meaningful leisure activities is a critical factor contributing to subjective well-being and good mental health in older Korean adults and should be encouraged.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyejin Yoon & Won Seok Lee & Kyoung-Bae Kim & Joonho Moon, 2020. "Effects of Leisure Participation on Life Satisfaction in Older Korean Adults: A Panel Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-9, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4402-:d:373692
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aiste Dirzyte & Aleksandras Patapas & Aidas Perminas, 2022. "Associations between Leisure Preferences, Mindfulness, Psychological Capital, and Life Satisfaction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-26, March.
    2. Chia-Chien Hsu & Brian Sandford & Chia-Ju Ling & Ching-Torng Lin, 2021. "Can the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Help Explain Subjective Well-Being in Senior Citizens due to Gateball Participation?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Osamu Katayama & Sangyoon Lee & Seongryu Bae & Keitaro Makino & Ippei Chiba & Kenji Harada & Yohei Shinkai & Hiroyuki Shimada, 2021. "Life Satisfaction and the Relationship between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Disability Incidence: An Observational Prospective Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-14, June.
    4. Hyein Shim & Won Seok Lee & Joonho Moon, 2023. "The Relationships between Food, Recreation Expense, Subjective Health, and Life Satisfaction: Case of Korean People with Disability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-11, June.

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