Lifestyles
TV watched for 3hrs 45mins a day by 65+
Time spent on selected activites: by age, 2000-01, United Kingdom
Activities
People aged 65 and over in the UK spend more time than those aged 50 to 64 watching the TV, reading, listening to the radio or music and resting.
The over 65s spent an average of three and three-quarter hours a day watching TV (or DVD/video) in 2000-01, three-quarters of an hour more than 50 to 64 year olds.
As some people age and their working lives end, they may have more free time available to spend on leisure activities. However, a variety of barriers to the more active leisure pursuits may exist. These include health and mobility problems, poor transport and lack of finance.
The over 65s spend one and a quarter hours a day reading (nearly half an hour more than 50 to 64 year olds). However, the likelihood of having a visual impairment increases with age and this may hamper reading activities.
Older people also spend more time resting or 'doing nothing special' - an average of three-quarters of an hour a day for those aged 65 and over compared with half an hour for 50 to 64 year olds.
Social networks
Frequency of people aged 65 and over seeing relatives or friends and contact with neighbours, 2001/02, Great Britain
In 2001/02, 79 per cent of people aged 65 and over living in households in Great Britain saw a relative or friend at least once a week. Only a small minority (2 per cent) did not see relatives or friends at all.
The frequency of contact is linked to whether older people live alone or in a couple, particularly among the very old. Among those aged 75 and over, 82 per cent of those who lived alone saw relatives or friends at least once a week, compared with 73 per cent of those who lived with their spouse only.
Seventy-eight per cent of people aged 65 and over said they chatted to neighbours at least once a week while 14 per cent had no contact at all. Contact with neighbours tends to decrease with age – 81 per cent of 65 to 69 year olds had weekly contact compared with 71 per cent of those aged 85 and over.
Sources: Time Use Survey 2000 – 2001 for activities data General Household Survey 2001/02 for social networks data
Notes: Social life activities include: unspecified social life; socialising with household members; visiting and receiving visitors; feasts (including weddings and funerals); telephone conversation; other specified social life. Resting activities is defined as: resting – time out. Games activities include: unspecified games; solo games and play; games and play with others (billiards, pool, snooker, petanque, chess and bridge, other specified parlour games); computer games; gambling; other specified games. Entertainment and culture activities include: cinema; art; art exhibitions & museums; library; attending sports events; other specified entertainment & culture.
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