Older Adults' Age Cohorts Time-Use Behavior and Preferences for Leisure Activities: Moderation by Sex and Mediation by Employment Status

The objectives of the present dissertation were: (1) determine the relationships between time use in physical vs social leisure activities (PLA - SLA), and cognitive vs emotional leisure activities (CLA - ELA) by older adults age cohort (60-69, 70-79 and 80-plus yrs.); (2) ascertain the role of sex in moderating the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort; and (3) assess how employment status mediates the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort with moderation by sex. Secondary data was obtained from the 2019 American Time Use Survey database. Applying a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed using a linear regression model in SPSS version 27 and PROCESS Macro with Hayes Model 1 and 59. We identified the extent of the conditional indirect moderation effect of sex and the indirect employment status mediation effect moderated by sex in the relationship between PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adult age cohorts. An index of moderated mediation was used to test the significance of each effect. The 80-plus yrs. cohort SLA time use was greater than in PLA across cohorts. Sex moderation showed a stronger effect in men by substantially decreasing their engagement time in PLA than in women across cohorts. A non-significant moderated mediation effect in SLA and PLA across age cohorts was observed. Women had the lowest minutes of engagement in both ELA and CLA compared to men. Sex moderation showed a more substantial negative effect on ELA and CLA in men than women. Finally, a significant moderated mediation effect in ELA and CLA across age cohorts was observed, where the mediation effect was stronger for males than females. Our findings indicate age cohort and sex effects on time engagement in both SLA-PLA and ELA-CLA, likely tied to sex roles that amplify at an older age. Sex effects in both ELA and CLA by age cohort appear not immutable in the life span and to equate among the oldest old, suggesting compression of leisure use in later years of life. Work participation is important for ELA and CLA among older adults, but not their SLA and PLA, which is likely explained by the loss of workplace social networks with retirement. Our findings suggest a need for aging well-being policies and initiatives to focus on older adults leisure participation variations within cohorts by sex and work life for optimally targeted interventions.