Leisure, eudaimonic behavior, physical activity and well-being of older adults

This study explored how different types of daily experiences (leisure activity, eudaimonic behaviors) and select habits and dispositions (neuroticism, dispositional depression, physical activity level), are related to situational well-being (situational depression, immediate positive affect) among older adults from a community center. Six hundred thirty-eight situational experience sampling observations were provided by 19 participants ranging in age from 59 to 81 years (M = 68.68, SD = 7.17). Each participant was signaled on five randomly selected occasions each day for seven consecutive days. Upon receiving a signal, participants completed questionnaires measuring their activity participation and situational well-being at the time of the signal. Significant predictors of situational depression included leisure activity, neuroticism, and physical activity level. For immediate positive affect, leisure activity, eudaimonic behaviors, and dispositional depression were significant predictors. These findings suggest that active leisure participation and engaging in eudaimonic behaviors can promote situational well-being of older adults.