A Meta-Analysis of the Association between Leisure Participation and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults

Depression is one of the major public health concerns among older adults. Participation in preferred leisure activities has been found to be effective for reducing the symptoms of depression among this population.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the association between leisure participation and depression.

A systematic review of PubMed, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar yielded 12 studies published between 2010 and 2020 (total participants = 10,681) that met the criteria for a meta-analysis. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software (CMA) was used to conduct the data analysis, and the correlation coefficient r was used as the effect size.

The average effect size across all 12 studies was -.221 (Fisher’s Z = -5.696, P < .001), indicating that participation in leisure activities had a significant negative effect on depression for the elderly. In addition, the Q-value (116.003, P < .001) and the I-squared value (90.517) proved substantial heterogeneity between the 12 studies in the meta-analysis. The symmetrical funnel plot produced by the CMA analysis demonstrated a possible absence of publication bias.

This meta-analytic study reinforced the effectiveness of leisure participation in reducing the symptoms of depression among older adults.