The Impact of Life Review Therapy and Adaptive Physical Activity on Leisure Satisfaction and Age Discrimination in Elderly

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of combining Life Review Therapy (LRT) with Adaptive Physical Activity Programs (APAP) on improving leisure satisfaction and reducing perceived age discrimination among elderly individuals. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 elderly participants from Tehran, divided into two groups of 15 each. The intervention group received a combination of LRT and APAP over twelve 60-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected at three points: pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up. The primary outcomes were measured using standardized tools for leisure satisfaction and perceived age discrimination. Data analysis included repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests using SPSS-27. The results indicated significant improvements in the intervention group compared to the control group. Leisure satisfaction scores increased from a mean of 3.45 (SD = 0.68) in the pre-test to 4.32 (SD = 0.58) in the post-test, and 4.28 (SD = 0.61) at follow-up. Perceived age discrimination scores decreased from a mean of 3.22 (SD = 0.72) in the pre-test to 2.18 (SD = 0.67) in the post-test, and 2.25 (SD = 0.65) at follow-up. The repeated measures ANOVA showed significant main effects for time and interaction effects between time and group for both variables (p < .001). The combination of Life Review Therapy and Adaptive Physical Activity Programs effectively enhances leisure satisfaction and reduces perceived age discrimination among the elderly. These findings suggest that such interventions can be beneficial in improving the overall well-being of older adults.