Today’s seniors participate less in active pursuits than seniors in 1986

In my final post on the time we spend on activities, Stats Canada provided a Wayback Machine so we can compare how the Boomers spend time vs how our parents spent their time. 

It is possible to use data from the 1986 General Social Survey on Time Use to examine changes in time spent on selected activities, specifically unpaid household work, active pursuits and passive leisure.

In 2015, the participation rate for seniors aged 65 and over in unpaid household work was 87%, significantly higher than the 75% participation rate for 1986. During this 30‑year period, the participation for senior men increased significantly from 58% to 83%, while senior women’s participation rate remained fairly unchanged (88% versus 91%). Despite the fact that senior men in 2015 were more likely to participate in household chores and the average time they spend has increased, senior women still accounted for a larger share of unpaid household work in 2015 (209 minutes, compared with 177 minutes for men).

Table summary This table displays the results of Participation rate and time spent on selected activities for individuals aged 65 and over Total, Men (ref.), Women, 1986 and 2015, calculated using percentage and minutes units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	Total		Men (ref.)		Women
	1986	2015	1986	2015	1986	2015
	percentage
Participation rate
Unpaid household work	75	87	58	83	88	91
Active pursuits	74	69	69	68	77	69
Passive leisure activities	88	90	89	92	87	89
	minutes
Average time (participants)
Unpaid household work	162	195	130	177	179	209
Active pursuits	223	185	214	179	230	190
Passive leisure activities	291	283	318	291	270	276
Source: Statistics Canada, General Social Survey, 1986 and 2015.

In the 30 years between 1986 and 2015, the participation for senior women in active pursuits (excluding using technology) decreased significantly, from 77% to 69%. In addition, the results showed a significant decrease in the average time spent on these activities. Between 1986 and 2015, both senior men and women decreased their average time spent on active pursuits (by 35 minutes and 40 minutes, respectively).

The findings on participation in passive leisure activities show that the seniors’ participation rates (for both men and women) have remained fairly unchanged in the last three decades. In addition, the average amount of time they spent on these passive activities did not change significantly between 1986 and 2015, with the exception of senior men, whose time spent decreased by nearly half an hour (27 minutes).

There are several characteristics associated with time use allocation among seniors. Senior women spend more time on unpaid household work and less time on passive leisure activities than senior men.

The findings also highlight the importance of employment, which has a significant impact on the way seniors spend their time. The findings also show that health is a significant factor in the way seniors devote their time to various activities. Seniors who describe their health as fair or poor spend less time on unpaid household work and active pursuits. But they also spend more time on passive leisure activities.

Finally, this study also examines how time use allocation changed for seniors between 1986 and 2015. Seniors appear to have moved towards a more egalitarian division of unpaid household work. Senior men’s participation rate in unpaid household work increased from 59% to 83%. At the same time, seniors now spend less time on active pursuits than they did three decades ago.

The fact that seniors spend less time in active pursuits could have implications on the health and wellbeing on this group of seniors as they age.