Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the related factors influencing the life satisfactory for the elderly and to understand the relationship between the participation of leisure activity and the life satisfaction of the elderly.
Method：
The present study was based on the secondary data. It used the data from “The Longitudinal Sample Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan” conducted in 2003 by the predecessor organization of the Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health. The total samples were 3778.
However, in the present study, only samples over 65 and those who completely answered the SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale) and answered it by themselves were considered. Therefore, the total samples involved in the study were 2473.
The measurement of life satisfaction in the adopted data was based on SWLS(Satisfaction with Life Scale) and was partly adopted from LSIA (Life Satisfaction Index A). It was constructed with twelve items, each of which could be answered with 0 or 1. The total scores for the measurement would range from 0 to 12. The higher the rank was, the better the elderly felt regarding their lives. Each participant had to answer each question regarding their views on their life conditions or feelings.
In the study, independent variables included social demography, physical condition, psychological condition, and leisure activity participation. In addition, leisure activity participation was further
categorized into three as: multi-media entertainment、social activities、outdoor activities. The present study investigated the participation frequency and categories of activity participation so as to understand their effect on the life satisfactory.
Result：
The average score for the life satisfactory of the samples were8.00±3.08 . The analysis of Liner Regression showed that under the control of other variables, for the elderly, those who participated in social activities or outdoor activities had higher life satisfaction. Similarly, those who frequently participated in the
activities and those who participated in more different kinds of activities, overall, had higher life satisfactory. Other variables influencing life satisfactory included their sex, provinces,
no depression,no ecnimic stress.
Conclusion and Suggestion:
Based on the results, those who participated in social activities or outdoor activities had higher life satisfaction. Similarly, those who frequently participated in the activities and those who participated in more different kinds of activities, overall, had higher life satisfactory. Therefore, it is of great importance to encourage the elderly to walk out, to participate in more interactive activities, and to raise their awareness of the importance of activity participation so as to increase their life satisfactory. It should also emphasized that providing the elderly with a better environment ，multi-media entertainment and a better economic save policy will make it possible for increasing the life satisfactory of the elderly.
