Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the effects and determinants of leisure time activities on successful ageing and quality of life levels in older  adults.

Methods: The study was cross-sectional. The population of the study consists of older adults residing in Samsun/Ayvacik district in Turkey (N = 2662).  Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: 60.6% were between 65 and 74, 84.8% were married, and 80.8% were primary school graduates. When the leisure time activities of the participants were analyzed, the first three ranks were watching TV, participation in social activities (97.8%), gardening (84.1%) and short walks (68.9%). The mean leisure time activities of the participants were 3.11 ± 0.71, the mean scores of successful ageing were 36.89 ± 8.06, and the mean scores of quality of life were 24.73 ± 3.30. A positive relationship was determined between leisure time activities, successful ageing and quality of life (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The first significant result of the study is that participation in leisure time activities positively affects quality of life and healthy ageing. The second significant result is that the level of leisure time activities, successful ageing, and quality of life are affected by gender, and the scores of men are
higher than those of women.