Leisure participation and satisfaction in two European communities

This paper compares participation in leisure activities in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and Thionville, France. Factors associated with participation in different types of leisure activities, including health, status, household structure, attitudes towards leisure, and perceptions about leisure facilities are examined for the two communities. The study also compares the contribution of participation in different activities to satisfaction in the two countries. Data are based on a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of 95 elderly individuals living in Luxembourg's urban areas and 100 in Thionville. In general, differences in factors associated with participation are greater between the two countries than among different activities within each country. The study concludes that elderly individuals derive different meaning from participation in leisure activities in Thionville and Luxembourg.