The role of leisure activities in enhancing well-being in Saudi's retired community: a mixed methods study

The study addresses how leisure activities affect the well-being of Saudi retirees amid demographic aging and socio-cultural changes. Prior work largely reflects Western contexts, revealing a gap regarding Middle Eastern, particularly Saudi, settings where cultural norms may shape retirement and leisure differently. The study aims to quantify leisure’s benefits across health, emotional well-being, social integration, and self-fulfillment, assess differences across demographic groups (age, gender, socio-economic status, education), and explore retirees’ perceptions. Research questions: (1) What is the overall level of well-being enhancement from leisure activity engagement among Saudi retirees (via the Leisure Benefits Scale)? (2) Which domains (health, emotional, social, self-fulfillment) are most enhanced? (3) Are there demographic differences (age, gender, socio-economic status, education) in perceived benefits? (4) How do retirees perceive leisure’s role in enhancing health, emotional balance, social integration, and self-fulfillment post-retirement? The study highlights the importance of culturally specific evidence to inform interventions and policies under Saudi Arabia’s evolving socio-economic landscape.

The review integrates Activity Theory, Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and cultural adaptation theory to explain how leisure supports retirees’ well-being in Saudi Arabia. It outlines well-being as multidimensional (physical, psychological, social) and positions leisure—physical, cultural, artistic, and social pursuits—as a vehicle for health, emotional regulation, cognitive stimulation, social cohesion, and self-actualization. Subsections detail: (1) Health benefits (e.g., tai chi, walking, aerobics) linked to cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic gains and reduced chronic disease risk; (2) Emotional benefits via stress reduction, mindfulness, flow states from creative and social activities; (3) Social benefits through community engagement and stronger networks; (4) Self-fulfillment through mastery, creativity, learning, and identity reinforcement. Cultural and demographic influences are emphasized: collectivist values, traditional vs modern leisure under Vision 2030, and effects of age, gender, socioeconomic status, and education on leisure access and preferences. Prior studies in Western contexts report positive links between leisure and well-being, social connections, and identity; evidence in Saudi Arabia is limited, with recent work noting sedentary patterns and factors affecting leisure-time activity. The review identifies a gap concerning retirees in Saudi Arabia and motivates a mixed-methods approach to capture multidimensional experiences in this specific cultural context.

Design: Mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to capture breadth and depth of the leisure–well-being relationship among Saudi retirees. Participants: Quantitative sample of N=545 retirees (268 women, 277 men), ages 55 to >65, from diverse public and private sector backgrounds, recruited via snowball sampling to ensure diversity across socioeconomic, educational, and cultural strata. Qualitative subsample of 23 retirees selected from the quantitative pool to reflect heterogeneity and elaborate emerging themes. Instrument: Leisure Benefits Scale (Li et al., 2021) with four constructs—Health benefits (4 items), Emotional benefits (4 items), Social benefits (4 items), Self-fulfillment interests (5 items)—rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree). Income categories used: <5000 SAR (low), 5000–7999 (middle), 8000–10,999 (upper-middle), ≥11,000 (high). Validity and reliability: Content validity via expert panel (8 recreation/leisure experts) and pilot testing (n=41) with item–dimension and item–overall correlations showing moderate to high, significant coefficients. EFA (principal components, Varimax) identified four factors (17 items) explaining 66.387% variance (eigenvalues: 3.075, 2.809, 2.725, 2.676). CFA (LISREL, ML): path coefficients 0.52–0.89 (p≤0.01), χ²=561.18, df=168, χ²/df=3.34; fit indices (RMSEA, GFI, AGFI, NFI) within optimal ranges, supporting factorial validity. Cronbach’s alpha: Health=0.78, Emotional=0.75, Social=0.80, Self-fulfillment=0.81, Total=0.85. Data collection: May–July 2023 via outreach to retiree groups on WhatsApp and snowball sampling. 1243 surveys distributed; 545 responses obtained. Qualitative phase invited 35; 23 participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis: Quantitative analyses in SPSS and LISREL: descriptive stats, Pearson correlations, Cronbach’s alpha, EFA/CFA, independent samples t-test (gender), one-way ANOVA (age, social status, economic status, education) with Scheffe post hoc tests. Qualitative analysis used thematic analysis to identify themes aligned with research aims. Ethics: Approved by the Permanent Committee for Research Ethics at Northern Border University (No. 16-7-24); informed consent implied by participation; anonymity and confidentiality ensured.

Quantitative results: - Overall perceived benefits: Total mean=2.96 (SD=0.28), indicating a moderate overall enhancement of well-being from leisure (Table 4). - By domain (Table 5): Health benefits highest (Total mean=3.50, SD=0.52; High); Emotional benefits moderate (3.10, SD=0.38); Social benefits moderate (3.01, SD=0.39); Self-fulfillment low (2.38, SD=0.55). Highest-scoring items were social (e.g., strengthening connections with friends, mean=3.79; establishing relationships, mean=3.58). - Gender differences (Table 6): Significant, favoring females. Females mean=3.03 (SD=0.33) vs males mean=2.89 (SD=0.19); t(543)=5.951, p<0.001. - Age differences (Table 7): Not significant; F(2,542)=2.794, p=0.053. - Social status differences (Table 8-9): Significant; F(3,541)=11.642, p<0.001. Scheffe indicates married retirees perceive greater benefits than divorced retirees. - Economic status differences (Table 10-11): Significant; F(3,541)=206.038, p<0.001. High-income retirees (mean≈3.5675) perceive significantly greater benefits than upper-middle, middle, and low income groups. - Education differences (Table 12-13): Significant; F(2,542)=10.289, p<0.001. Tertiary-educated retirees (mean≈3.03) report higher perceived benefits than primary (≈2.91) and secondary (≈2.93). Measurement properties: - EFA yielded four factors explaining 66.387% variance; CFA supported the model (χ²=561.18, df=168, χ²/df=3.34; path loadings 0.52–0.89; fit indices within optimal ranges). Reliability acceptable to high (alphas 0.75–0.85). Qualitative themes: - Holistic health and emotional well-being: Retirees reported physical benefits (e.g., stabilized blood pressure via walks; activity from culturally rooted falconry). Emotional benefits included joy, calm, and belonging from family/social gatherings and culturally resonant pursuits (e.g., calligraphy). - Social integration and self-fulfillment: Leisure enabled new and stronger social ties (e.g., walking groups, mosque gatherings, volunteering) and fostered identity, mastery, and personal achievement (e.g., painting, digital photography). - Cultural influence and barriers: Leisure is shaped by cultural and religious values favoring communal, family-oriented activities. Reported barriers include limited age-appropriate infrastructure, economic constraints, and societal perceptions of reduced activity in retirement.

Findings indicate a moderate overall enhancement in well-being attributable to leisure among Saudi retirees, with health benefits most salient, and emotional and social domains moderately improved. Self-fulfillment gains were comparatively lower. The results align with global literature linking leisure to health in older adults, while highlighting Saudi-specific cultural dynamics—collectivist values and evolving opportunities under Vision 2030—that may shape both access to and the experience of leisure. Demographic analyses reveal nuanced patterns: women report higher perceived benefits than men; no significant age differences suggest a broadly shared valuation of leisure across later life; higher income and tertiary education correlate with higher perceived benefits; and marital status (married vs divorced) is associated with more favorable perceptions, underscoring the role of social support. Qualitative insights deepen understanding by showing how culturally aligned activities bolster identity, social cohesion, and emotional balance, while barriers point to infrastructural and economic inequities and age-related social norms that may dampen potential gains. Together, these findings address the research questions by quantifying domain-specific benefits, identifying demographic disparities, and elucidating culturally embedded mechanisms through which leisure enhances well-being.

This study contributes a culturally grounded, mixed-methods assessment of how leisure activities influence well-being among Saudi retirees. It demonstrates moderate overall benefits, strongest in health, with demographic variations linked to gender, socio-economic status, education, and marital status. Qualitative evidence explains how culturally aligned leisure supports social integration, emotional balance, and identity, while revealing barriers that constrain engagement. Implications include prioritizing culturally sensitive, accessible, and inclusive leisure programs; addressing infrastructural gaps and cost barriers; and promoting positive narratives of active aging. Future research could extend this work by employing longitudinal designs to track changes in leisure benefits over time, evaluating specific interventions that target self-fulfillment and access among lower-income groups, and examining how evolving leisure offerings under national reforms influence retiree well-being across regions and subpopulations.