Enhancing Life Satisfaction in Older Adults: The Role of Engagement in Meaningful Activities and Perceived Fulfillment

Abstract

Life satisfaction is a key indicator of wellbeing in later life and a central focus of several aging theories. While engaging in physical and social activities supports life satisfaction, less is understood about the role of activity meaningfulness and perceived fulfillment. This study examines whether engagement in meaningful activities or perceived fulfillment has a greater effect on life satisfaction among older adults. Using data from the Well Elderly 2 Study (N = 460; ages 60–90), we found that both meaningful activity engagement and perceived fulfillment were positively associated with life satisfaction after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Perceived fulfillment demonstrated a slightly stronger relationship. These findings highlight the importance of meaningful activities in enhancing life satisfaction and suggest that service providers promote both meaningful engagement and fulfillment to support cognitive and emotional wellbeing. Strategies are discussed to empower older adults to age in place and improve their quality of life.