Why Malay Elderly Female Frequently Engaged in Religious Activities During Leisure: A Qualitative Approach in Selangor
Last reviewed: March 2026
Key Findings
- In-depth interviews with 20 Malay elderly women revealed that religious activities dominated their leisure time, including Quran recitation, congregational prayers, and religious study circles.
- Several intersecting factors drove this pattern: spiritual preparation for the afterlife, declining physical health limiting other activities, social connectedness through religious gatherings, and cultural expectations of piety in later life.
- While religious engagement provided substantial psychosocial benefits, the predominance of a single activity type raised concerns about the lack of diversity in leisure participation.
- The study recommended that health promotion programmes encourage diversified leisure activities alongside religious involvement to optimise physical and cognitive health outcomes.
Background and Context
The relationship between religiosity, ageing, and health has been a subject of considerable research interest across diverse cultural contexts. Among Muslims, religious practice is considered an integral part of daily life at all ages, but the intensity of devotion often increases in later years as individuals seek spiritual fulfilment and preparation for the afterlife. In Malaysia, where Islam is the official religion and the Malay population is predominantly Muslim, religious activities form a central component of the cultural landscape of ageing.
Previous research on leisure participation among Malaysian elderly has established that the patterns of activity engagement are shaped by a complex interplay of health status, social support, economic resources, and cultural norms. Studies using the Continuity Theory of Ageing framework have found that older adults in Selangor tend to continue activities they engaged in earlier in life, with a gradual shift toward less physically demanding pursuits. Among Malay elderly, this often translates into an increased focus on religious and spiritual activities. However, while religious engagement offers documented benefits for mental health, quality of life, and cognitive function, an over-reliance on any single category of leisure activity may limit the broader health benefits that come from diverse participation.
This qualitative study, published in MJPHM in 2014, sought to explore the underlying reasons why Malay elderly women in Selangor disproportionately engage in religious activities during their leisure time, and what factors contribute to the narrowing of their leisure repertoire as they age.
Study Design and Methods
The study utilised a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews. Twenty elderly Malay women aged 60 years and above were purposively selected from two health clinics in Selangor, with one clinic situated in an urban district and the other in a rural area. This stratification ensured that the sample captured perspectives from different socioeconomic and geographic contexts. Each interview lasted between 15 and 30 minutes and was conducted in the Malay language. The interviews explored the types of leisure activities participants engaged in, the reasons for their activity choices, and their perceptions of barriers to more diverse leisure participation. Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring patterns across interviews.
Dominance of Religious Activities
The findings revealed that religious activities overwhelmingly dominated the leisure time of the participants. The most commonly reported activities included daily recitation of the Holy Quran, performance of supplementary (sunnah) prayers beyond the five obligatory daily prayers, attendance at religious lectures and study circles (often held at mosques or suraus), and participation in communal religious events. Several participants described setting personal goals for their religious practice, such as completing the recitation of the Quran as many times as possible within a given period.
The prominence of religious activities was not unexpected given the cultural context, but the degree to which other forms of leisure were absent or marginalised in participants’ daily routines was noteworthy. Physical recreational activities, cognitive leisure pursuits such as reading non-religious material or learning new skills, and social activities outside of religious contexts were mentioned infrequently, suggesting a substantial narrowing of the leisure repertoire.
Factors Driving Religious Activity Engagement
The thematic analysis identified several interconnected factors that explained the heavy orientation toward religious activities. The most prominent of these was spiritual motivation and preparation for the afterlife. Many participants expressed a heightened awareness of their mortality and a desire to maximise their accumulation of religious merit before death. This motivation was consistently described as the primary driver of their daily routines.
Declining physical health served as both a push factor away from more physically demanding activities and a pull factor toward sedentary religious pursuits. Participants who had previously enjoyed gardening, walking, or cooking found that chronic pain, fatigue, and mobility limitations increasingly confined them to home-based activities, of which Quran recitation and prayer were the most accessible and culturally valued options.
Social connectedness through religious gatherings was another important factor. For many women, attending religious classes and communal prayers provided their primary opportunity for social interaction outside the home. These gatherings offered companionship, emotional support, and a sense of belonging that was otherwise lacking, particularly for widowed participants or those whose children lived far away.
Cultural expectations also played a significant role. Within Malay society, older women are expected to embody piety and devotion, and religious engagement is viewed as the most appropriate and respected use of leisure time. Participants who wished to engage in activities that fell outside this norm sometimes described feeling social pressure to conform to expectations of religious devotion.
| Factor | Description | Impact on Leisure Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual motivation | Desire to prepare for afterlife, accumulate religious merit | Prioritises religious activities above all others |
| Health decline | Chronic conditions, pain, fatigue, mobility limitations | Restricts participation to sedentary activities |
| Social connection | Religious gatherings as main source of social interaction | Reinforces religious-centred social networks |
| Cultural expectations | Social norms valuing piety and devotion in older women | Discourages pursuit of non-religious leisure |
| Accessibility | Ease of engaging in prayer and Quran reading at home | Low-barrier default when other activities are inaccessible |
Health Implications of Leisure Monotony
While the study acknowledged the genuine benefits of religious engagement—including reduced depressive symptoms, improved psychological wellbeing, and enhanced social support—it also raised important concerns about the health implications of leisure monotony. Research from various populations has consistently demonstrated that older adults who participate in diverse leisure activities across physical, cognitive, and social domains experience better health outcomes than those who concentrate on a single activity type.
The predominantly sedentary nature of the religious activities described by participants meant that physical activity levels were likely inadequate for maintaining musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and metabolic function. Similarly, the limited engagement in cognitively stimulating activities beyond religious practice may have implications for cognitive reserve and the prevention of age-related cognitive decline. Studies from Malaysia and elsewhere have established that about 12% of individuals with mild cognitive impairment progress to dementia each year, and that diversified leisure engagement is associated with reduced risk of cognitive deterioration.
Connections to Broader Research
The findings of this study resonate with research from other Muslim-majority societies, where religious activity similarly dominates the leisure landscape of older women. Studies of Muslim retirees in Malaysia have consistently found that acquiring religious merit is a primary priority in later life. Subsequent research examining the impact of religious activities on quality of life and cognitive function among elderly Malaysians has confirmed significant associations between higher levels of religious engagement and better psychological outcomes, while also noting that the relationship between religious activity and physical health is more nuanced.
International comparative research on leisure and ageing in collective cultures, including studies from India and Nepal, has identified similar patterns of gender-differentiated leisure constraints, with women consistently reporting more barriers to participation than men. Transportation limitations, financial dependency, and sociocultural expectations have been identified as common constraints across diverse Asian contexts.
Implications for Practice and Policy
The study offers several recommendations for health promotion and elderly care services. First, programmes designed for older Malay women should recognise and respect the central role of religious activities while encouraging complementary engagement in physical and cognitive leisure pursuits. Integrating gentle exercise components—such as stretching, walking, or tai chi—into the schedule around religious classes could help address the physical activity deficit without conflicting with cultural values.
Second, community-based health promotion should emphasise that diverse leisure participation is not incompatible with religious devotion, but rather enhances overall health and the capacity to continue religious practice in later years. Framing physical activity and cognitive stimulation as means to sustain the ability to perform religious duties may resonate more effectively with this population than secular health messaging.
Third, Senior Citizens Activity Centres (PAWE) and similar community programmes should be encouraged to offer a wider variety of activities that cater specifically to the preferences and limitations of older Malay women, including light physical activities that can be performed in modest clothing, group learning activities in the Malay language, and creative pursuits that complement spiritual development.
Limitations
The study was limited by its focus on Malay women in Selangor, which may not reflect the experiences of elderly women from other ethnic groups or regions of Malaysia. The sample size of 20 participants, while appropriate for qualitative research, does not allow for statistical generalisation. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported leisure activities, which may be subject to social desirability bias, particularly regarding the reporting of religious engagement. Future research should include longitudinal designs and mixed-methods approaches to better understand how leisure patterns evolve over time and their impact on health trajectories.
Conclusion
This study provides a nuanced understanding of why Malay elderly women in Selangor concentrate their leisure time on religious activities. The findings highlight the interplay of spiritual motivation, health limitations, social needs, and cultural expectations in shaping leisure patterns. While religious engagement offers meaningful benefits, the lack of leisure diversity has implications for physical and cognitive health. Addressing this imbalance through culturally sensitive health promotion represents an important opportunity to enhance the quality of life of ageing Malay women in Malaysia.
Citation
Minhat HS, Rahmah MA, Khadijah S. Why Malay elderly female frequently engaged in religious activities during leisure: a qualitative approach in Selangor. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. 2014;14(1):39–46.
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0)