A survey on senior/elderly participation in leisure activity in Hong Kong

The purpose of this study was to survey the status of senior/elderly leisure activity participation and explore the social environment of leisure activity, pattern, motivation, benefits, and constrains for the elderly in Hong Kong. One hundred thirty participants aged 65 and older from five nursing homes were randomly selected to participate in this study, and 106 survey forms (81.5%) were returned and used for the data analysis for the study. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, frequency), and correlation coefficient. The results indicated that the leisure activities with the highest rate of participation for elderly were watching TV, listening to the radio or music, and reading books or newspapers, and the least participated in were yoga or Pilates, fishing, and using computers, among the four categories of leisure activities. The majority of elderly recognized the value of leisure activity, and the motivation for the elderly to participate in leisure activities was enjoyment. Finally, social benefits from participating in leisure activities, including meeting people and increasing self-esteem was also recognized. Copyright © 2013 ACESS, Asian Council of Exercise & Sports Science.