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Leisure Satisfaction Mediates the Relationships between Leisure Settings, Subjective Well-Being, and Depression among Middle-Aged Adults in Urban China

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Abstract

This study examined the role played by leisure satisfaction in the relationship between leisure settings (built and natural), subjective well-being, and depression among midlife residents of urban China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze this conceptual model, exploring data taken from a representative sample of 663 Chinese urban middle-aged citizens included in the 2014 Chinese Leisure Study. Additionally, leisure satisfaction was tested as a mediator between leisure in nature and subjective well-being. The results indicate that leisure satisfaction mediates the relationship between specific leisure settings (i.e., leisure in nature and outdoor recreation), subjective well-being, and depression. The results therefore contribute to the literature by providing evidence of the relationship between leisure settings, subjective well-being, and depression through identification of the positive effects of leisure on nature. Future health interventions should therefore highlight the advantages of urban green spaces.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program of Landscape and Recreation, National Chung Hsing University, No. 250, Guoguang Rd, South District, Taichung City, 402, Taiwan

    Po-Ju Chang

  2. Department of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

    Yeqiang Lin

  3. Center for Tourism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Rui Song

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  1. Po-Ju Chang
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  2. Yeqiang Lin
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Correspondence to Po-Ju Chang.

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Chang, PJ., Lin, Y. & Song, R. Leisure Satisfaction Mediates the Relationships between Leisure Settings, Subjective Well-Being, and Depression among Middle-Aged Adults in Urban China. Applied Research Quality Life 14, 1001–1017 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9630-3

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