FACTORS AFFECTING NURSING HOME RESIDENTS' LONELINESS, LEISURE SATISFACTION, AND LEISURE ACTIVITY.
Contributors: University of Maryland, College Park.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 135
Subjects: Recreation.; Gerontology.
Description: This study examined the effects of a seven-week recreational day camp on nursing home residents. The purposes of the study were to: (a) determine whether or not participation in an outdoor recreational day camp program affected loneliness, leisure satisfaction, and leisure activity involvement of nursing home residents; and, (b) test a three stage causal model of loneliness, leisure satisfaction, and leisure activity involvement.

The non-equivalent control group research design was used for this study. The study participants were 30 nursing home residents, ages 65 to 94 years, from four nursing homes in Prince George's County, Maryland. Criteria for sample selection included that the participant was 60 years old or older, not bedridden, mentally competent, and that members of the experimental group were willing and able to attend the camp at least four times. The experimental group members (n = 14) attended the seven week long Summer Leisure in the Parks Program, whereas the control group (n = 16) did not attend. Study participants were interviewed using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau & Cutrona, 1980), the short version of the Leisure Satisfaction Scale (LSS) (Beard & Ragheb, 1980), and an activity scale. In addition, a demographic questionnaire was administered during the pretest phase. Statistical analyses used for the study were Pearson product-moment correlation, analysis of covariance, and path analysis.

Cronbach Alpha scores indicated that the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the LSS were highly reliable. Hypotheses testing revealed that involvement in the camp experience did not significantly effect nursing home residents' loneliness; overall leisure satisfaction; psychological, educational, social, relaxational, or physiological components of leisure satisfaction; or leisure activity. However, the experimental group, relative to the control group, underwent a significant change in the aesthetic component of their leisure satisfaction. Furthermore, path analyses results indicated no significant predictors of loneliness or leisure activity. On the other hand, leisure activity emerged as having a significant, p =.04, positive effect (b =.41) on leisure satisfaction. Explanations and practical implications of these findings are presented, as well as ideas for future research.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-08, Section: A, page: 2160.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK, 1987.

School code: 0117.