近年來，台灣人口結構的急速老化，顯示高齡化社會的來臨，老年人除了面臨生理機能的自然衰退壓力外，還有外在環境引發的精神壓力，這些均威脅到老年人的健康與生活滿意；另一方面，許多研究認為休閒能協助個體因應其所面臨的生活壓力並能促進健康，以及環境體驗的差異將對個體的健康產生影響的思考背景下，研究主要目的除了探討老年人的壓力與休閒活動參與現況外，並進一步了解壓力、休閒因應與健康效益之間的關係，同時比較城鄉老年人的差異。
研究架構參考國內外相關文獻，提出重要研究概念有經濟狀況、壓力自覺、休閒參與、社會支持感、生活滿意與健康自覺。研究設計首先利用「中老年身心社會生活狀況長期追踪調查」資料庫，進行縱貫性的量化分析，其次利用「社區照顧關懷據點」進行田野調查的質性資料收集，並整合量化與質化的資料，建構老年人休閒因應行為理論。最後配合其它子計畫之執行，研擬提升老年人休閒參與與健康生活的策略，希冀研究結果做為我國衛生保健、休閒遊憩等相關機構實務應用與學術研究之參考。
The elder population of Taiwan has incrementally rapidly in this decade. The elder people not only face the physiological deteriorate but also the spiritual stress. It influences the health problems and the living satisfaction of elderly people. On the other side, many studies have depicted the benefits of leisure can efficiently improve the healthy condition and also have better effect on coping the stress. Furthermore, the environmental experiences were also found to be an influential indicator on health. Therefore, this study tries to discuss the relationships between stress and leisure participant of elderly people. The relationship between stress, coping and healthy effect will be analyzed and the differences between urban and rural elderly people will be compared.
The study framework is established on the related literature to propose the factors which include the economic condition, the self stress perception, leisure participants, social supports, living satisfaction, and the self health perception. The Survey of Health and Living Status of the Middle Aged and Elderly in Taiwan will be adopted as the data base of a longitudinal quantitative survey. Following with a qualitative field survey at the sites of the Community Care Stations established by the Ministry of Interior. The second stage will integrate the survey findings of the quantitative and qualitative surveys to developing the theory of the leisure coping behavior of elderly people. Finally, synchronize the result from other sub-projects to develop the strategies of promotions on the leisure participants and healthier living of elderly people. For the applications on the health and recreation related institutes and further studies in the academic field
