de Souto Barreto P. Direct and indirect relationships between physical activity and happiness levels among older adults: a cross-sectional study.
Aging Ment Health 2014;
18:861-8. [PMID:
24679157 DOI:
10.1080/13607863.2014.896863]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The purposes of this study were to examine if physical activity (PA) is associated to happiness and to investigate if social functioning and health status mediate this association.
METHOD
Participants of this cross-sectional study were 323 men and women, age 60 or over, who were covered by the medical insurance of the French National Education System, France. They received by mail a self-report questionnaire that asked for information about general health, PA, and happiness.
RESULTS
In multinomial logistic regressions, the total volume of PA was associated to higher levels of happiness, but this association disappeared in the presence of social functioning. A structural equation modelling (SEM) showed an indirect association between PA and happiness, which was mediated by participants' health status and social functioning; in this SEM model, social functioning was the only variable directly associated to happiness.
CONCLUSION
Complex associations among PA, health status, and social functioning appear to determine happiness levels in older adults.
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