Where and with whom? The role of leisure activities in shaping momentary affective states in later life

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the momentary associations between intellectual, physical, and social activities and high- and low-arousal positive and negative affect (HPA, LPA, HNA, and LNA), and how social and physical contexts moderate these associations. METHODS: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was conducted over 7 consecutive days, with 153 middle-aged and older adults completing 6,102 surveys in China. Two-level linear mixed-effects models with a CAR(1) correlation structure were used for the analyses. RESULTS: Associations between physical activity and affective states varied across social contexts: compared with being alone, being with a spouse or other social partners was associated with higher HPA and lower LPA, being with a spouse or other family members with lower HNA, being with a spouse with lower LNA. The association between social activity and HPA was lower when participants were with other family members or other social partners than when alone. Compared with being at home, being outdoors moderated several leisure activity-affect associations, whereas being indoors showed no significant moderation. CONCLUSION: This study provides a more nuanced understanding of the associations between leisure activities and momentary affective experiences and how these associations vary across social and physical contexts, with implications for psychological health promotion programs and interventions.