The Relationships Between Leisure Participation and Perceived Wellness Among Taiwanese Adults Ages 55 to 75 Years

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the relationships between leisure participation and each dimension of perceived wellness, which included psychological, emotional, social, physical, spiritual, intellectual, and overall perceived wellness among a sample of adults ages 55 to 75 in Tainan, Taiwan. In addition, the study also determined whether there were differences in leisure participation and perceived wellness based on the four demographic variables of age, gender, educational level, and perceived economic status. The participants were from a purposive sample o f 400 adults ages 55 to 75 that reside in Tainan County, Taiwan. The participants were involved in a variety o f programs at distinct locations where a majority o f Tainan County senior groups gathered. The return rate of the surveys was 88%. Three instruments were used in this study: the Leisure Participation Involvement (LPI), the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS), and a demographic survey. The Spearman Rank-Order Correlation and the one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. The results showed: 1. There were significant differences between perceived wellness and two demographic variables of educational level and perceived economic status. 2. There were significant differences between leisure participation and two demographic variables of age and perceived economic status. 3. There were correlations between leisure participation and each dimension of perceived wellness (psychological, emotional, social, physical, spiritual, and intellectual wellness) and overall perceived wellness