ACTIVE AGING: LEISURE AND HEALTH IN LATER LIFE

Roger C. Mannell, PhD (Psychology)Professor of Leisure and Health Studies and GerontologyFaculty of Applied Health Sciences University of Waterloo

RPAC 31st Annual National ConferenceHyatt Regency TorontoOctober 2, 2010

Session Overview

• Determinants of life satisfaction for retired (older) adults

• Leisure engagement across the life course

• Psycho-social activity theories of successful aging

• Explorations in active aging research – insights gleened as a researcher

• The science of pre-retirement planning, leisure counseling and well-being

• Translating knowledge into practice

Determinants of Life Satisfaction Among Retired (Older) Adults

• Health Status and Functional Ability– Physical health (perceptions) (+)– Functional limitations for daily life and leisure activities (-)– Formal (+) versus informal caregiver support (-)– Cognitive coping (+) versus emotional and behavioral (-)– Cognitive impairments (-?)

• Financial Satisfaction, Security and Strain– Adequacy of income (perceived) (+)– Life management strategies – focused goals and selected

opportunities (+)

Mannell & Dupuis (2007) – Life Satisfaction – Encyclopedia of Gerontology 2nd ed

Determinants of Life Satisfaction for Retired (Older) Adults continued…

• Education, Employment and Occupational Status– Education through financial planning/health access (+)– Employment and occupational status (0)

• Age (0)

• Gender (0)

• Marital Status (+)

Determinants of Life Satisfaction continued…

• Role loss– Change and role loss loss of sense of

usefulness (-)– Central social roles if stressful (-)

• Personality and coping styles– Personality – competence/self-efficacy (+);

extraversion (+); neuroticism (-)– Coping styles effective in pre-retirement are

effective post-retirement

• Race, ethnicity and cultural differences– Little research except in U.S. on Blacks and Whites– Research emerging on cross-cultural differences

• Retirement Itself– Mixed findings– Moving to retirement more satisfied that being retired

– Limitations• Focus on men with lack of studies on women, couples (heterosexual or same-sex)• Lack of longitudinal studies

Determinants of Life Satisfaction continuted…

Leisure Engagement Across the Life Course – Trends and Issues

• General changes in leisure participation levels

• Individual differences in participation patterns

• Modes of leisure activity adaptation

• Cohort effects – yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s retired (older) individuals

General Changes in Leisure Participation Across the Life Course

• Sport/Exercise = -.55• Outdoor Activities = -.48

• Dancing/Drinking = -.76• Movies = -.68• Travel = -.38

• Reading = -.36• Television viewing = -.18• Spectator sports = -.17• Cultural activities = -.13

• Home decorating = +.01

• Cooking (females) = -.25• Cooking (males) = +.59

• Solitary activities = +.33

Leisure Engagement Across the Life Course – Trends and Issues continued…

• General changes in leisure participation levels

• Individual differences in participation patterns

• Modes of leisure activity adaptation

• Cohort effects – yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s retired (older) individuals

Individual Differences in Changes in Leisure Participation Patterns over the Life Course

Searle, MacTavish & Brayley

Leisure Engagement Across the Life Course – Trends and Issues continued…

• General changes in leisure participation levels

• Individual differences in participation patterns

• Modes of leisure activity adaptation

• Cohort effects – yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s retired (older) individuals

Modes of Leisure Activity AdaptationAcross the Life Course

Within a Leisure Activity

Low Intensity

High Intensity

Home-Based

Late in the Day

With Friends

With Family

Early in the Day

Community-Based

Between Leisure Activities

Within Activity

New Activity

Later Life Changes to Active Lifestyles/Leisure and Role in Quality of Life

• Changing value of activities engaged in by older adults…– Social, outdoor, sports activities 55-64 years of age– Voluntary associations, culture, travel 65-74 years of age– Home-based activities 75 years and over

• Regularity and diversity

• Activities promoting self-determination, competence and challenge

• With age and declining health, quality maintained by continued participation in a few highly valued activities

Psycho-Social Activity Theories of Successful Aging: Role of Leisure

• Disengagement Theory

– Voluntary gradual disengagement from others and activity patterns

• Activity Theory

– People happy and fulfilled in direct proportion to level of activity

• Continuity Theory

– Successful aging is a function of establishing ego integrity– Activities and relationships cultivated and maintained over the life

course contribute most to well-being and sense of integrity– Meaning of activity and social context of activity important

Other Ideas About Leisure and Health Relationships?

• Keeping idle-hands busy

• Psychological hedonism: Pleasure, relaxation and fun

• Need compensation

• Personal growth

• Identity formation and affirmation

• Leisure as a Coping Resource

Explorations in Active Aging Research –Insights Gleened as a Researcher

• Active Aging and the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships

• Active Aging as an Anecdote for Caregiver Stress

• Active Aging and Dealing with Bereavement

• Development of Best Practices for Promoting Active Aging in Long-term Care Settings

Active Aging and the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships

• Have you been “beeped” today?• Experience sampling method (ESM)

– Mapping behaviour and experience– Experiential sampling booklet and forms

Larson, Mannell & Zuzanek

Experiential Sampling Form/Bookand Programmable Watch

Quality of Older Adults Interpersonal Relationships continued…

– Time alone • Unmarried = 66% • Married = 39%

Larson, Mannell & Zuzanek

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

0.7

Intensity

Alone Spouse Friends Spouse &Friends

Type of Companions

AffectArousal

Psychological State with Different Companions

Explorations in Active Aging Research –Lessons Learned as a Researcher

• Active Aging and the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships

• Active Aging as an Anecdote for Caregiver Stress

• Active Aging and Dealing with Bereavement

• Development of Best Practices for Promoting Active Aging in Long-term Care Settings

Older Adults Caring for Older Adults

• Purpose (Mannell, Salmoni & Martin)

– Role of physically active leisure in ameliorating the negative effects of caregiver workload on stress and physical and mental health

• Sample and Survey

– 152 primary caregivers 60 years of age or over

– 152 care recipients 60 years of age or over

+

Depression

CaregiverLoad

.

PsychologicalWell-Being

PhysicalHealth

Stress+

-+

PhysicallyActive Leisure

-

+

-

Mannell, Salmoni & Martin

Impact of Physically Active Lifestyle on the Caregiving Stress and Mental and Physical Health

Relationships among Active Leisure, Workload, Disruptions to Life, Stress and Personal Growth

CaregiverLoad

PersonalGrowth

Disruption

ActiveLeisure

+

+

Stress

-+

-

+ -

+

Explorations in Active Aging Research –Lessons Learned as a Researcher

• Active Aging and the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships

• Active Aging as an Anecdote for Caregiver Stress

• Active Aging and Dealing with Bereavement

• Development of Best Practices for Promoting Active Aging in Long-term Care Settings

Leisure and Coping with the Death of a Spouse

• Method

– Recently widowed women (n=62) and a comparison group of married women (n= 18) interviewed and surveyed

– Average age 58.4 years and bereaved average of 21.6 months

– Random funeral homes provided names of women whose husbands' funerals they had arranged

– Married participants (peer nomination technique) (mean age=54.0 years)

Hierarchical Leisure Stress Coping Framework

Leisure Coping Resources

LeisureCoping Beliefs

LeisureCoping Strategies

LeisureAutonomy

LeisureFriendships

Leisure Com-panionship

Leisure Pall-iative Coping

Leisure MoodEnhancement

Self-DeterminationDisposition Empowerment Emotional

SupportEsteemSupport

TangibleAid

InformationalSupport

Iwasaki & Mannell (2000)

Explorations in Active Aging Research –Lessons Learned as a Researcher

• Active Aging and the Quality of Interpersonal Relationships

• Active Aging as an Anecdote for Caregiver Stress

• Active Aging and Dealing with Bereavement

• Development of Best Practices for Promoting Active Aging in Long-term Care Settings

Promoting Active Aging in a Long Term Care Settingwith Leisure Counselling and Education

• Long term care residential environment

• 44 volunteers (men and women, aged 65-91)

• Randomly assigned to 4 program groups– No program – control– Activity exposure– Education and counselling– Education, counselling + activity exposure

• 6 week program with 6 week follow up

Research on Pre-Retirement Planning, Leisure and Life Satisfaction

• Limited research reported

• Advocating pre-retirement counselling andprograms ((Nimrod & Adoni, 2006)

Found several groups of retirees and those they labelled culture enthusiasts and sophisticated choosers were more satisfied with retirement than media consumers and company seekers

Supported the finding that as retirees age they become more media users with less active lifestyles

Advocate leisure counselling part of pre-retirement programs

Pre-retirement Planning Research continued…

• Pre- and post-retirement leisure (Lee, 2005)– Continuity pre- to post-retirement predominant style

– More leisure less life satisfaction “unless” right type of activities (e.g.):

• Passive in-home activities less satisfaction• Spiritual, field trips, travel, seeing friends, community activities

more satisfaction

• Walking, outdoor activities more satisfaction

Pre-retirement Planning Research continued…

• Planning for retirement associated with successful adaptation (Lo & Brown, 1999)

• Thinking about retirement and attending planning meetings have positive impact on retirement satisfaction even when income, marital status and health factored in (Elder & Rudolph, 1999)

• Valuing leisure and desiring to achieve an optimal leisure-style contributes to smoother and more successful transition to retirement (Carpenter & Patterson, 2004)

Translating Research on Aging and Retirement into Practice at the University of Waterloo

• Partnerships– Multi-disciplinary– Private sector– Public sector– Communities

• Research on Aging and Health – Centres for Knowledge Translation*– RBC-UW Your Future by Design Retirement Research Centre– Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA)– Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP)– Propel – Centre for Population Health Impact– Ideas for Health– CRE-MSD – Centre of Research Expertise in Musculoskeletal Disorders

*Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging

Schlegel Research Chairs

Neuroscience and AgeingGeriatric Medicine

Geriatric PharmacotherapyVascular Aging

Enhanced Seniors Care

The Kenneth G. Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP)

Educational Tools. By Us For Us. Changing Melody Toolkit. I’m Still Here DVD and Learning Guide. Dementia Care Education Series. Breaking the Silence. Managing and Accommodating ResponseBehaviors in Dementia Care

RBC Your Future by Design Retirement Research Centre at the University of Waterloo

. Undergraduate research fellowships

. Research funding

. Contract research

. Knowledge transfer and exchange

Something to keep in mind…

• Life satisfaction and mortality

The End