the role of leisure activities in enhancing quality of life in older adults: a narrative review

Background: with the world transitioning into the “aging population” phase, the proportion of older adults (aged 60 and above) in the global demographic structure has increased significantly. this trend has important social, economic, and health implications, making the focus on quality of life in older age a public health priority. older adults face physiological changes, declines in executive abilities, and psychosocial stressors, necessitating strategies to enhance their physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. one such strategy is participation in leisure activities and recreational pursuits. objectives: the aim of this narrative review was to examine the role of leisure activities in enhancing the quality of life of older adults and to identify existing research gaps in this area. in this study, sources were searched in pubmed, scopus, web of science, google scholar, and iranmedex using keywords such as “leisure activities,” “elderly,” “quality of life,” and “recreational activities.” both empirical and review studies were considered. inclusion criteria encompassed studies on adults aged 60 and above published in english or persian. data were analyzed using thematic content analysis, and key domains of leisure activity impact on quality of life were extracted. results: findings indicated that leisure activities influence four main domains: physical and sports activities, which improve physical health and flexibility; cognitive and mental activities, which help prevent cognitive decline; social and group activities, which enhance social interaction and life satisfaction; and spiritual and artistic activities, which promote inner peace, meaning, and personal value. the combination of these activities has the most positive effect on the quality of life of older adults. conclusion: the study highlights that leisure activities not only provide enjoyable moments but also strengthen physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, supporting independence, motivation, and problem-solving skills. policymakers and aging service managers should prioritize designing comprehensive recreational programs and providing appropriate infrastructures for older adults.