Determination and Analysis of Leisure Time Patterns in the Elderly: Qualitative Content Analysis

Since participation in leisure activities improves the physical and mental health of the elderly, in this study, the leisure patterns of the elderly are explained and analyzed to reveal the problems, needs and barriers of leisure for policy makers.

This qualitative study was conducted by using conventional content analysis. 21 elderly people over 60 years old were selected based on purposive sampling with maximum diversity and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and continued till data saturation was occurred in 2019. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the data, four criteria of acceptability, reliability, transmission capability and the capability of the proposed approval of Goba and Lincoln were used.

three main themes of the study were included of leisure activities, barriers to participation in leisure activities and factors affecting leisure. The eight main categories of "recreation", "sport", "social interaction", "rest", "artistic activity", "cultural activity", "media" and "religious beliefs" were extracted from the data analysis. The most common leisure activities for the elderly were watching television, hiking, going to parks and mosques. The most important barriers to non-participation in leisure activities were economic problems, disability and lack of access.

Due to the most common leisure activities in the elderly and barriers to non-participation in leisure activities, the provision of recreational, educational and religious programs by responsible institutions and organizations and their availability can provide welfare and health of the elderly.