Impacto del ocio en la soledad de los adultos mayores:  revisión de alcance

Liliana Alejandra Salazar Pérez; Eloy Maya Pérez

doi:10.48204/j.enfoque.v38n34.a9171

Submitted January 8, 2026

Published 2026-01-08

Artículos de Revisión

Vol. 38 No. 34 (2026): Enfoque

The impact of leisure on loneliness in older adults : a scoping review

Liliana Alejandra Salazar Pérez ⁺⁻
Eloy Maya Pérez ⁺⁻

DOI https://doi.org/10.48204/j.enfoque.v38n34.a9171

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References

DOI: 10.48204/j.enfoque.v38n34.a9171

Published: 2026-01-08

How to Cite

Salazar Pérez , L. A., & Maya Pérez , E. (2026). The impact of leisure on loneliness in older adults : a scoping review. Enfoque, 38(34), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.48204/j.enfoque.v38n34.a9171

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This review article aimed to systematize the scientific evidence available between 2020 and 2025 regarding the impact of leisure on loneliness among older adults. An exhaustive documentary search was conducted. From a total of 218 records, five studies were selected by analyzing their methodological characteristics and main findings. The results indicate that leisure has a positive effect on reducing loneliness, and promotes emotional, cognitive, and social well-being. Particularly, educational leisure improves mood; social leisure decreases perceived loneliness; serious leisure strengthens identity and sense of purpose; and physical and mental leisure activities contribute to cognitive protection. It is concluded that leisure activities constitute a relevant strategy to promote whole-person health in old age; however, the available evidence remains limited. Thus, strengthening research on this topic is recommended to incorporate leisure into public health programs for this population.

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References

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