目標：本研究應用壓力過程模式，探討喪偶在中老年婦女的休閒活動與身體功能間長期關係，以進一步瞭解喪偶對台灣中老年婦女是否為負向的生活事件。方法：使用「台灣地區中老年身心社會生活狀況長期追蹤調查」資料庫，以1996年50－66歲的中老年婦女（1,070人）追蹤至2003年的資料為研究對象。考慮樣本重複測量的相依性，多變項迴歸以廣義估計方程式進行分析。結果：研究顯示中老年婦女休閒活動與身體功能間具有正相關。相較於已婚的中老年婦女，喪偶者參與社交性與宗教性休閒活動的比例較高；喪偶者的身體功能並沒有顯著較差。結論：休閒活動的參與會提昇中老年婦女的身體功能，喪偶的中老年婦女可藉由參與休閒活動，減少身體功能障礙的可能性，調適喪偶的衝擊。喪偶對中老年婦女未必是長期負向的生活事件，建議衛生與社會福利相關單位在制定中老年婦女健康政策時，考量在生活事件對中老年婦女衝擊下，休閒活動參與對其身體功能提昇的可能。

Objectives: In order to explore whether being widowed was a negative life event for older women, we employed the stress process model to examine the associations between widowhood, leisure activities, and physical function among middle-aged and older Taiwanese women. Methods: This study was based on data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study of Aging (TLSA), a nationally representative sample (n=1,070) of middle-aged and older women aged 50-66, begun in 1996 and with 7-year follow-ups. Generalized linear modeling with GEE estimates was used due to repeated measures. Results: The results showed a significant, positive association between leisure activities and physical function in middle-aged and older women. The widowed women were more likely than married women to participate in social and religiously related leisure activities, and their physical function was not significantly poorer than that of the married women. Conclusions: The findings suggested that participation in leisure activities promoted physical function in the study population. Being widowed was not a negative life event in terms of function for middle-aged and older Taiwanese women. Social welfare and health-related policies that aim to promote well-being should consider participation in leisure activities as an important mechanism through which widows can maintain their physical function.