Examining the Relationship Between Meaningful Engagement and Well-Being Across Men and Women

While engagement in meaningful activities is associated with well-being, the influence of gender on this relationship is unknown. The study aims to (a) examine the difference between meaningful engagement and well-being for individuals who identify as men and women and (b) explore the association between engagement and well-being in men and women. In this observational study, 256 community-dwelling individuals completed meaningful engagement and well-being measures. Between-group <i>t</i> tests indicated no significant differences between men and women for engagement (<i>t</i> = 0.595, <i>p</i> = .552) and well-being (<i>t</i> = 0.818, <i>p</i> = .414). There were fair, positive correlations (<i>r</i>s = .376; <i>p</i> < .01) between engagement and well-being for men and moderate positive correlations (<i>r</i>s = .567; <i>p</i> < .01) between engagement and well-being for women. Self-identified gender may influence the relationship between engagement in meaningful activities and the sense of well-being it provides.