Is the Effect of Physical Activity on Quality of Life in Older Adults Mediated by Social Support?

Abstract

Increasing evidence suggests positive associations between physical activity, social support, and quality of life in later life. However, the role of physical activity and social support in the influence on quality of life is unclear. In this viewpoint, definitions of central terms and key research findings on factors influencing quality of life in older adults are provided. We highlight the importance of both a physically active lifestyle and high social support in positively influencing quality of life. However, we question the direct effect of physical activity on quality of life and present data of a cross-sectional study to support the assumption that the effect of physical activity on quality of life might be influenced by perceived social support. In this cross-sectional study, self-reported physical activity, social support, and quality of life were assessed in a nonclinical sample of 100 adults aged between 60 and 80 years. Statistical analyses included correlation analyses and covariate-controlled mediation analyses. The results confirmed the research findings on positive correlations between all domains of quality of life and both physical activity and social support. Mediation analyses indicated that the effect of physical activity on all domains of quality of life was at least partially mediated by social support, when controlled for covariates. Based on the findings of published evidence and this cross-sectional study, a socially and physically active lifestyle is recommended for older adults to positively influence quality of life. However, the well-documented effect of physical activity on quality of might be an at least partially mediated effect by perceived social support. Practical and research-related implications of a potential indirect effect are discussed. Further prospective research is warranted to clarify the relationship between the variables.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: Its Association with Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, Social Support, and Health-Promoting Behavior

“…Similar to those of previous studies [2,28,58], our findings demonstrate a positive correlation between health-promoting behaviors and HRQOL in older adults. Among all health-promoting behaviors, the physical area was the only predictive factor for HRQOL.…”

“…Our findings support a positive relationship between emotional-informational support and HRQOL as described in former studies, indicating that social support is more strongly related to a higher HRQOL in older adults [18,21,22,28,34], older individuals with stoma [17], and older individuals with chronic disease [2,27,35,38,59]. The use of peer support programs (volunteer visits with clients) enforcing emotional-informational support significantly increased the levels of well-being among highly vulnerable, low-income older adults [23].…”

“…As mentioned above, the importance of HL, self-efficacy, social support, and health-promoting behavior for successful aging, which significantly affect older adults' QOL, is well documented [2][3][4][5]22,27,28]. These are modifiable variables that can affect health status and QOL.…”

The Relationship of Nutrition and Walking With Body Composition, Anxiety and Sleep Quality in Healthy Elderly Over 65

“…In their study with elderly individuals with chronic diseases, Feng et al determined that there is a significant relationship between social participation, which is one of the health-promoting behaviors, and quality of life. In the study by Niedermeier et al, it was determined that physical activity positively affects the quality of life (Feng et al 2020;Niedermeier et al 2019).…”

Evaluation of health-related quality of life in a physically active senior population

“…The elderly individuals who maintain leisure activities whose component is PA usually show better HRQoL scores, which can be attributed to the direct effects of PA and those related to participation and social interaction. 13,[32][33][34] The rural environment where most sample individuals live may have contributed to this result.…”