WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL AND LEISURE
INTERESTS OF OLDER ADULTS?
American Psychological Association
Table of Contents
Why Practitioners Need Information
Although older adults vary widely in their specific interests and pastimes,
there is continuity in leisure pursuits across the life course. Most leisure
time is not spent in activity programs developed especially for older persons.
- Religious affiliation is the most common form of organizational participation among older adults, with 50 percent attending religious services weekly.
- Older adults are active in politics, with about two-thirds reporting voting in the 1992 Presidential election (compared with about half of younger adults).
- Less than 25 percent of older adults participate in senior centers.
- With advancing age, older adults tend to pursue more sedentary and solitary activities, such as visiting family and friends, watching television, and reading.
