University of Twente Student Theses

Motives and barriers for performing pleasurable activities : study on the motives and the barriers for performing pleasurable activities in the daily life of the Dutch elderly population

Heijden, S.E. van der (2016) Motives and barriers for performing pleasurable activities : study on the motives and the barriers for performing pleasurable activities in the daily life of the Dutch elderly population.

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Abstract:	Background information The Dutch population is ageing, bringing along high costs for health care due to the high demand in health care. Active ageing aims for an ageing process that helps elderly to maintain their autonomy and independence for as long as possible, with lower costs of care as a consequence. Active ageing is associated with participation in social, economic, cultural and spiritual participation and civic affairs. Performing pleasurable activities is a form of participation in society, and thus a form of active ageing. Problem statement The problem this research focuses on is the older the Dutch elderly population get; the less time they spend on pleasurable activities. This might be due to some barriers they experience, but it is expected that they also experience motivators to perform pleasurable activities. This has led to the main question to be answered: ‘What are barriers and motivators to perform pleasurable activities in daily life of the Dutch elderly population?’ This main question will be answered by answering three sub questions: ‘What are activities regarded most pleasurable by the Dutch elderly population?’, ‘What are barriers to perform pleasurable activities in the daily life of the Dutch population?’ and ‘What are motivators to perform pleasurable activities in the daily life of the Dutch elderly population?’ Method The research method used was a quantitative design, which was descriptive and transversal. The research was based on data gathered from questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: 1) level of participation in society, 2) frequency and pleasure different activities, 3) barriers perceived when performing pleasurable activities and 4) motivators perceived when performing pleasurable activities. The questionnaire was filled in by respondents consisting of men and women, living in a village or a city and with an age of 65 years and over. The data analysis was done using SPSS 21. For all four parts, a comparison was made between gender (male and female) and living conditions (rural or urban environments) of the respondents. For the second part, a top three of most frequently performed and most pleasurable rated activities was stated, and for part three and four, a top two of highest rated barriers and motivators was stated. Results Concluding, it can be said that on average, visiting/receiving visits, walking/bicycling and reading were rated as the most pleasurable regarded activities. The highest rated two barriers were health impairment and lack of company, and the two highest rated motivators were perceived pleasure and increased social participation. Differences between gender and living conditions were found in the pleasure and frequency of certain activities, as well as in the rating of the barriers and motivators. Conclusion and discussion It can be said that the results of this research have shown to be partially in accordance with earlier performed research, but did not show similarities for barriers, apart from health impairment. The research was mainly limited by the number of respondents, the diversity of the respondent group (regarding their residence in the Netherlands) and the validity of the questionnaire. Over all, the conducted research is rather reliable, but the validity has to be approached carefully when concluding certain aspects. The technology-based intervention this background information was gathered for is advised to take the health impairment of its users into account, and to try to develop an understandable basis for contact between users with similar interests. It is recommended to perform this research once more, with a larger and more diverse respondent group, as well as to conduct a qualitative research focussing on barriers elderly experience when performing pleasurable activities.
Item Type:	Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:	TNW: Science and Technology
Subject:	44 medicine, 70 social sciences in general, 76 recreation, leisure
Programme:	Health Sciences BSc (56553)
Link to this item:	https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70707
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