1Taegu Science University, Department of Professional Sports Coaching, Daegu, Republic of Korea
2Gachon University, Department of Physical Education, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Leisure Sports Engagement in Later Life: Role of Financial Conditions in Shaping Health Concern, Participation Constraints, Satisfaction, and Continuance Intention
Sport Mont 2026, 24(2), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.260609
Abstract
understanding socioeconomic disparities in later-life physical activity participation has become increasingly important for both public health and social policy. The purpose of this study was to test whether income-based differences exist in health concern, multidimensional participation constraints, participation satisfaction, and continuance intention among Korean older adults engaged in leisure sports. Data were collected from 311 older adults who regularly engaged in leisure sports, using validated scales (health concern, participation constraints, satisfaction, and continuance intention) from prior research. Significant differences were found in cost, social, and time constraints: low-income older adults reported greater financial barriers and social limitations, while low- and middle-income groups experienced more time constraints than the high-income group. No significant differences emerged for health concerns, health-related constraints, satisfaction, or intention to continue participation. The results underscore that, while leisure sports in later life are tied to consumer culture, they are also vital in health promotion and social connectedness. Policies ensuring minimum access to leisure sports for all older adults, regardless of income, are recommended.
Keywords
active aging, socioeconomic inequality, recreational engagement, structural barriers, quality of life, behavioral persistence
View full article
(PDF – 222KB)
References
Annear, M. J., Cushman, G., & Gidlow, B. (2009). Leisure time physical activity differences among older adults from diverse socioeconomic neighborhoods. Health & Place, 15(2), 482–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.07.002
Beard, J. G., & Ragheb, M. G. (1980). Measuring leisure satisfaction. Journal of Leisure Research, 12(1), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1980.11969416
Belza, B., Walwick, J., Shiu-Thornton, S., Schwartz, S., Taylor, M., & LoGerfo, J. (2004). Older adult perspectives on physical activity and exercise: Voices from multiple cultures. Preventing Chronic Disease, 1(4), A09.
Carney, S., & Walker, H. (2019). Recreation, sport and an aging population. Athens Journal of Sport, 6(1), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.6-1-2
Choi, C., Kim, D.-K., & Lee, I. (2024). Virtual golf, “exergaming,” using virtual reality for healthcare in older adults: Focusing on leisure constraints, participation benefits, and continuous participation intention. Healthcare, 12(8), 962. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12080962
Choi, C., Park, S. U., & Kim, D. K. (2025). A psycho-behavioral perspective research for elderly leisure sports participation via big-data and comparative analyses. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 381. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02548-9
Crawford, D. W., & Godbey, G. (1987). Reconceptualizing barriers to family leisure. Leisure Sciences, 9(2), 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490408709512151
Crawford, D. W., Jackson, E. L., & Godbey, G. (1991). A hierarchical model of leisure constraints. Leisure Sciences, 13(4), 309–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490409109513147
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1980). The empirical exploration of intrinsic motivational processes. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 13, pp. 39–80). New York: Academic Press.
Devereux-Fitzgerald, A., Powell, R., Dewhurst, A., & French, D. P. (2016). The acceptability of physical activity interventions to older adults: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Social Science & Medicine, 158, 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.006
Ekinci, N. E., Isik, U., & Ustun, U. D. (2020). Leisure satisfaction and life satisfaction of older adults: the effect of a ten-week recreation program. Ambient Science, 7(1), 102–106.
Gennetian, L. A., & Shafir, E. (2015). The persistence of poverty in the context of financial instability: A behavioral perspective. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34(4), 904–936. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21854
Grima, S., Grima, A., Thalassinos, E., Seychell, S., & Spiteri, J. V. (2018). A study of the determinants of sports participation by Maltese nationals. European Research Studies Journal, 21(2), 110–133.
Hennessy, C. H. (2023). The functions of leisure in later life: Bridging individual- and community-level perspectives. Ageing & Society, 44(12), 2610–2632. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X23000028
Holt, N. L., Kingsley, B. C., Tink, L. N., & Scherer, J. (2011). Benefits and challenges associated with sport participation by children and parents from low-income families. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 12(5), 490–499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.05.007
Imam, P. (2013). Demographic shift and the financial sector stability: The case of Japan. Journal of Population Ageing, 6, 269–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-013-9089-9
Jang, S. W. (2007). Sports activity and leisure restriction of universal student day or night time. The Journal of Sports Science, 19, 79–88.
Jun, M. G., & Choi, C. (2024). Perspective on leisure sports participation among older adults in a super-aging society: Focusing on health concern, athletic passion, leisure satisfaction, and intent to continue participating in leisure sports. Healthcare, 13(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13010041
Kim, M. L., Lee, Y. J., & Hwang, S. H. (2010). Cross-cultural validation test and application of LSS-short form. Journal of the Korea Contents Association, 10(11), 435–445. https://doi.org/10.5392/JKCA.2010.10.11.435
Kim, S.-Y. (2024). A study on the leisure sports participation behavior of the elderly through comparative analyses by age: Focusing on leisure participation constraints and price sensitivity. Behavioral Sciences, 14(9), 803. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090803
Kleiber, D. A. (2016). Leisure activities in later life. In N. A. Pachana (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Geropsychology (pp. 321–329). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_321
Lee, I., Kim, D. K., & Choi, C. (2023). Effect of the scarcity message type and sender type on purchase intention in Instagram as a distribution channel. Journal of Distribution Science, 21(7), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.15722/jds.21.7.202307.73
Lee, S. H., & Kwak, J. H. (2025). Analysis of changes in interpersonal relationships and physical ability associated with the treatment of recreational activities elderly cognitive impairment. The Korean Society of Sports Science, 34(3), 333–343.
Lee, W. H. (2010). The relationships between participation motivation, satisfaction and intention of continuance participation of participants in sports for all. Master’s thesis. Korea National Sport University.
Lehne, G., & Bolte, G. (2017). Impact of universal interventions on social inequalities in physical activity among older adults: an equity-focused systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0472-4
Malkowski, O. S., Townsend, N. P., Kelson, M. J., Foster, C. E. M., & Western, M. J. (2023). Socioeconomic inequalities in physical activity among older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. BMJ Public Health, 1, e000100. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2022-000100
Marzo, R. R., Khanal, P., Shrestha, S., Mohan, D., Myint, P. K., & Su, T. T. (2023). Determinants of active aging and quality of life among older adults: systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1193789. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1193789
Newsom, J. T., McFarland, B. H., Kaplan, M. S., Huguet, N., & Zani, B. (2005). The health consciousness myth: implications of the near independence of major health behaviors in the north American population. Social Science and Medicine, 60(2), 433–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.05.015
Ni, Y., Zhou, Y., Kivimäki, M., Cai, Y., Carrillo-Larco, R. M., Xu, X., Dai, X., & Xu, X. (2023). Socioeconomic inequalities in physical, psychological, and cognitive multimorbidity in middle-aged and older adults in 33 countries: A cross-sectional study. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 4(11), e618–e628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(23)00195-2
Pensions at a Glance 2023: OECD and G20 Indicators. (2023). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/678d8133-en
Ollivier, M. (2008). Revisiting distinction: Bourdieu without class? Journal of Cultural Economy, 1(3), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350802476970
Oriol, E. d. C., Gomes, R. C., & Avellaneda, C. N. (2025). Financial fragility in older adults: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Policy Studies, 40(2), 25–59. https://doi.org/10.52372/jps.250215
Park, I. H., Choi, I. H., Ryu, H. S., Joo, A. R., Kim, Y. K., & Kang, S. Y. (2006). A survey on the status of environment and elderly health of senior centers in Gwangju City. Chonnam National University Research Institute of Nursing Science.
Post, E. G., Rivera, M. J., Doss, D., & Eberman, L. E. (2023). Higher levels of income and education are associated with more specialized sport participation behaviors: Results from a representative sample of youth sport parents from the United States. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 18(5), 1196–1205. https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.86127
Stalling, I., Albrecht, B. M., Foettinger, L., Recke, C., & Bammann, K. (2022). Associations between socioeconomic status and physical activity among older adults: Cross-sectional results from the OUTDOOR ACTIVE study. BMC Geriatrics, 22, 396. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03075-7
2023 Social and Welfare Statistics. (2023). Statistics Korea.
Stebbins, R. A. (2018). Leisure as not work: A (far too) common definition in theory and research on free-time activities. World Leisure Journal, 60(4), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2018.1517107
Taskiran, T. A., & Gurbuz, B. (2021). The investigation of the relationship between perceived freedom and brief resilience: The role of participation in physical activity. Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity, 13(5), 19–28.
Toepoel, V. (2013). Ageing, leisure, and social connectedness: How could leisure help reduce social isolation of older people? Social Indicators Research, 113, 355–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0097-6
Wankel, L. M. (1993). The importance of enjoyment to adherence and psychological benefits from physical activity. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24(2), 151–169.
Watts, P. N., & Netuveli, G. (2022). Costs of healthy living for older adults: the need for dynamic measures of health-related poverty to support evidence-informed policy-making and real-time decision-making. Public Health, 212, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2022.08.001
Weber, D., & Loichinger, E. (2022). Live longer, retire later? Developments of healthy life expectancies and working life expectancies between age 50–59 and age 60–69 in Europe. European Journal of Ageing, 19(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00592-5
Zhou, C., Ji, Q., Shi, X., Liu, H., & Chen, Y. (2025). Associations between physical activity participation and different types of sports consumption expenditures among older adults: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1713320. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1713320