Background: Older adults with cancer experience are more likely to encounter a notable reduction of participation in physical and social leisure activities, which may threaten their overall well-being. With the increased numbers of older adults who have lived with cancer, promotion of living well become an important topic regardless of the experience of illnesses or disabilities (Heo et al., 2016).

Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore how specific types of leisure activities and leisure satisfaction were linked to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being among older adults who had experienced cancer.

Method: A nationally representative sample of 2,934 older adults with lifetime cancer experience was retained from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Research data was mainly drawn from the 2016 Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaires (PLQ), which used Social Participation/Engagement, Positive Affect, Purpose in Life, and Leisure Satisfaction scales.

Results: The results of regression analysis revealed that leisure-related variables (i.e., leisure activities and leisure satisfaction) were significantly associated with eudaimonic and hedonic well-being across different age groups, but the magnitude of relationships varied. For example, walking for 20 minutes was reported as the only type of leisure activity related to hedonic well-being for the oldest-old (80+ years old). TV watching was significantly, but negatively associated with eudaimonic well-being for the young-old (50-74 years of age). In contrast, using a computer was positively linked to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being among the young-old and old-old (75-84 years of age).

Conclusion: The current study made a significant contribution to build the body of knowledge that the different age groups of older adults who had experienced cancer can enhance eudaimonic and hedonic well-being by participating in different types of leisure activities. In addition, the current study addressed the importance and potential role of frequent participation in easily accessible, low-intensity, and personally meaningful leisure activities for living well among older adults who had experienced cancer (e.g., Dupuis, 2008). Implications for further research are discussed.