SocialActivities

Social and Leisure Activities

Measuring: Frequency of participation in a range of social, leisure, cultural, recreational, physical, and voluntary activities.

Number of Items: 14

Item Question Wording TILDA Variable
1 Watch television. SCQSocAct1
2 Go out to films, plays and concerts. SCQSocAct2
3 Attend classes and lectures. SCQSocAct3
4 Travel for pleasure. SCQSocAct4
5 Work in the garden, or your home, or on a car. SCQSocAct5
6 Read books or magazines for pleasure. SCQSocAct6
7 Listen to music, radio. SCQSocAct7
8 Spend time on hobbies or creative activities. SCQSocAct8
9 Play cards, bingo, games in general. SCQSocAct9
10 Go to the pub. SCQSocAct10
11 Eat out of the house. SCQSocAct11
12 Participate in sport activities or exercise. SCQSocAct12
13 Visit to or from family or friends, either in person or talking on the phone. SCQSocAct13
14 Do voluntary work. SCQSocAct14

Response Categories:

Participants indicate how often, if at all, they participate in each activity:

  1. Daily / almost daily
  2. Once a week or more
  3. Twice a month or more
  4. About once a month
  5. Every few months
  6. About once or twice a year
  7. Less than once a year
  8. Never

Scoring Method:

The questionnaire records the frequency of participation in each activity. The 14 items are not inherently combined into a single cumulative scale score.

For derived analyses, items may be retained individually or grouped into broader activity domains. TILDA has used derived indicators based on participation frequency, including:

  • Active or social leisure: participation in activities such as going to films, plays or concerts; attending classes or lectures; travelling for pleasure; playing cards or games; going to the pub; eating out; and taking part in sport or exercise.
  • Passive or solitary leisure: activities such as watching television, gardening or working around the home, reading, listening to music or radio, and hobbies or creative activities.
  • Voluntary activity: participation in voluntary work.

Where a derived indicator is created, the relevant frequency threshold should be documented separately rather than interpreted as part of the original 14-item questionnaire.

Example TILDA Papers: - Hennelly, N., Ward, M., Scarlett, S., Hever, A., O’Connor, D., McGarrigle, C., & Kenny, R. A. (2023). Creative Activity in the Ageing Population: Findings from Wave 6 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin. https://doi.org/10.38018/TildaRe.2023-02

  • Scarlett, S., Hever, A., Ward, M., & Kenny, R. A. (2021). Creative Activity in the Ageing Population. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin. https://doi.org/10.38018/TildaRe.2021-05