Serious Leisure, Health Perception, Dispositional Optimism, and Life Satisfaction Among Senior Games Participants

Abstract

This study investigated factors that explain the life satisfaction of Senior Games participants. One 193 older adults from the 2005 Michigan State Senior Games and the 2005 New York State Senior Games participated in the study. The results of the study show that one of the indicators of serious leisure (affective attachment) was positively correlated to optimism (.16, p <.05), age (.28, p <.01), and the number of years participated (.28, p <.01). Regression analysis was also used to identify which variables contribute to predicting life satisfaction. It was found that dispositional optimism (β =.308, p <.001) and perceived health (β =.185, p <.05) were significant predictors of life satisfaction.

Notes

Note. M = Mean; SD = Standard deviation.

^a Age was measured in ranges. Mean and SD are not available. ∗p < .05; ∗∗p < .01.

Note. R ² = .15, p < .001.