Global Activity Motivation and Activities of Older People

Measures of global motivation to be active might help to explain the overall activity patterns late in life that, in turn, might help us to better understand the nature of successful and productive aging. We report on a study in which we developed a measure of global activity motivation and examined its relationship to four activities: working, volunteering, exercising, and taking classes. An opportunity sample of 193 persons age 55 and older from eastern Massachusetts responded to a self-administered questionnaire on types of activity and motivations for engaging in these activities. The data show that a four-item global activity motivation measure is present and that it is positively associated with participation in a count of the four activities and two of the specific activities: working and volunteering. This analysis demonstrates that global activity motivation is helpful in understanding patterns of activity among older people beyond the contribution of motivation for specific activities. We offer suggestions on how activity organizers can make use of the global activity motivation concept to encourage older people to engage in activities.