ABSTRACT
A cross-sectional study with quantitative approach carried out with 387 community-dwelling elderly to identify their attitudes toward leisure activities in the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's association test and Spearman's correlation. Most participants were female, aged up to 80 years, married and had up to four years of schooling. The elderly had a predominantly positive attitude toward leisure in the three subscales, with a lower mean for the behavioral subscales, which indicated that some elders had a negative attitude. This was significantly associated with age, educational attainment, smoking status and functional capacity. In conclusion, a positive attitude and greater involvement in leisure activities allows health professionals to raise a critical reflection in the elderly, especially in their behavioral attitude to rethink the planning, opportunities and resources for leisure.
DESCRIPTORS:
Health of the elderly; Attitude; Leisure activities; Geriatric nursing; Aged.