This study examined the relationships between leisure autonomy, leisure competence, and leisure social support and health-related stress among older adults. It also examined whether an increase in age moderated the relationships between these three leisure factors and health-related stress. Two hundred fifty-six older adults living in Keelung City, Taiwan were randomly selected as participants at the first year. At the second year, 195 of them continued to respond to the questionnaire of the study that included leisure autonomy, leisure competence, leisure social support, and health-related stress scales. The questionnaire data were analyzed using a regression analysis. The results of this analysis showed that leisure autonomy, leisure competence, and leisure social support were significantly negatively related to health-related stress and that an increase in age moderated the relationship between leisure competence and health-related stress. Implications of the results are discussed.

This study examined whether leisure self-determination and leisure social support were related to acute stress and chronic stress among older adults. Participants were 141 older nursing home residents with high stress levels and 322 older community dwellers with low stress levels. Data were collected using face-to-face surveys, which included measures of leisure self-determination, leisure social support, and acute stress. Chronic stress was measured using an electrocardiogram. Data were analyzed using regression analysis. The results indicated that leisure self-determination and leisure social support were negatively correlated with acute stress among nursing home and community participants. However, leisure self-determination and leisure social support were not correlated with chronic stress in these two groups of older adults. Implications of the results are discussed.

This study examined whether there was an interaction effect of leisure self-determination and leisure competence on older adults’ self-rated health (SRH), controlling for self-efficacy. Three hundred eighty-nine older adults living in Keelung City, Taiwan were systematically selected as participants. Data were collected by a face-to-face questionnaire survey which included measures of self-efficacy, leisure self-determination, leisure competence, and SRH scales. The data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results showed a significant reinforcement interaction effect of leisure self-determination and leisure competence on SRH among the participants after controlling for self-efficacy. Implications of the results are further discussed.

This study examined whether a leisure education program could promote leisure autonomy and self-rated health (SRH) among older adults. A pretest-posttest randomized experimental design was conducted. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). Data related to leisure autonomy and SRH were collected shortly before and after the experiment. Pretest and posttest data were analyzed using an analysis of covariance. The results indicated that the average posttest scores of leisure autonomy and SRH in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Implications of the results are discussed.

This study examined relationships between leisure autonomy, leisure competence, leisure social support, and flow experience and subjective vitality among older adults. In total, 257 older adults attending senior centres from New Taipei City, Taiwan were recruited. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, during which leisure autonomy, leisure competence, leisure social support, flow experience, and subjective vitality were measured. The data were analysed using a hierarchical regression method. Results revealed that leisure autonomy, leisure competence, and leisure social support were significantly and positively correlated with subjective vitality and that flow experience was more significantly and positively correlated with subjective vitality than the three leisure needs were. Practical implications of results in terms of enhancing subjective vitality among older adults are discussed. Considering that flow experience is a strong predictor of subjective vitality among older adults, helping older adults experience flow should considerably enhance their subjective vitality. Flow is experienced when a balance is reached between high levels of challenges and skills. Therefore, leisure with such balance increases the likelihood that older adults can experience flow.