A Study on the Relationship between the Types of Meaningful Social Activity and Meaning in Life of Older Adults

This study aims to identify the types of meaningful social activity of older adults and analyze how each type influences their meaning in life. A survey of 875 older adults aged 65 and over who utilized day-care centers and welfare centers in South Korea was undertaken for this aim. Latent class analysis, multinomial logistic regression analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed on the collected data. The following are the major findings: First, multidimensional activity type, self-development-oriented type, social contribution-oriented type, and passive activity type were derived as the types of meaningful social activity for the aged. Second, demographic and social characteristics, such as gender, age, and education, were identified as influential factors for each type. Finally, when considering the impact of meaningful social activity type on meaning in life, passive and self-development-oriented activity type had lower m ean ing in life than multidimensional activity type. On the other hand, the impacts of the multidimensional activity type and the social contribution-oriented type on meaning in life were not significantly different. Based on these findings, this study suggests practical and policy interventions to promote older individuals' engagement in social activities and improve their meaning in life.