As the current elderly population of Korea has consistently increased, the elderly problem is challenged by a new assignment of the quality improvement of life beyond the level of the basic social security. In particular, the number of the elderly who...
As the current elderly population of Korea has consistently increased, the elderly problem is challenged by a new assignment of the quality improvement of life beyond the level of the basic social security. In particular, the number of the elderly who participate in the leisure activities from psychological satisfaction and health improvement as well as solitude in daily life is increasing. Accordingly, a study to raise the life satisfaction through searching for adequate types of leisure activities to individuals of the elderly is required.
This study has the purpose to provide the elderly with the basic data for preliminary leisure preparation and learning about social role loss by analyzing the relationship of the leisure activity types and life satisfaction of the elderly in compliance with the social demands because the class who doesn't yet belong to senescence needs the technology and knowledge about the leisure activities at least by the middle age through socialization so that it can be well utilized at the old age.
With this purpose, it performed literature survey and practical researches. As for literature survey, independent volumes, theses, the National Statistical Office data, the elderly related newspaper articles issued in Korea and overseas countries were collected and analyzed.
When it comes to the practical researches, based on the areas of Daegue and Gyeongbuk 200 elderly persons using senior citizen centers and elderly welfare centers and staying in houses were surveyed. The survey objects were made according to random sampling.
The criteria for object selection was the male and female elderly over 60 years old and the elderly who can communicate and have no optical or visual problems and are able to understand this study. The collected questionnaire was analyzed by using SPSS Win 17.0 widely used in social science.
The results of the study are as follow.
First, as a result of the examination of the status of the elderly leisure activities, the house where the elderly most spend their leisure activities showed the highest rate of 40.9 and the rate of reply that the amount required for the leisure activities was considered to be insufficient was over 40% and the leisure time for 3~4 hours was the most to the elderly
Second, as for the types of the leisure activities, the labor type (2.39), retired type (1.81), the labor type and close type were the highest rates from social contact and recreation type (1.72), self-completion type (1.14) and participation in activity type (1.32), closed type (3.02).
Third, the life satisfaction of the elderly was performed by t-test and one-way ANOVA and the result is as below. By sex, the female elderly was higher than the male elderly and by age, the low age class was higher than the elderly at over 80 years old and the elderly living with children showed higher rate than those living alone and the higher the elderly's economic level and the better their health was, the higher the rates were and the rate of the elderly who replied that the leisure activities are required showed higher life satisfaction and the more the amount spent for the leisure activities is, the higher life satisfaction was and the religion and life satisfaction according to the monthly pocket money didn't show a significant meaning statistically.
Fourth, as a result of the multiple regression analysis in order to review the relationship of the leisure activity types and life satisfaction, the regression line showed explanation of 42.5 and in the concrete, the higher the level of the retired type and the self-completion type was, the higher life satisfaction was.
In general, the results of this study could deduct below social welfare implications.
The responsibility for the basic desires of the elderly should be taken by the government and family and regional societies should try to solve other desires. Accordingly, social and economic motive systems to more activate the traditional family welfare and maintain the health of the family system should be prepared. Rather than a policy focusing facility protection, the welfare policy for the elderly staying at home should be more reinforced. Second, local senior citizen centers should be activated to develop programs which can be variously selected by individuals. A practical base to promote the retrogression thinking power at the old age and make the brain activity active through practicing what wasn't accomplished at young age. In addition, the elderly themselves should be interested and participate in the elderly education programs to acquire the ways of leisure utilization and enjoy the leisure activities. By these, the life satisfaction of the elderly is expected to be more raised.