The impact of square dancing on psychological well-being and life satisfaction among aging women

Abstract

As the most popular sport among middle-aged and elderly women in China, square dancing has both physical and psychological benefits for menopausal women. Previous studies have shown that square dance exercises can promote the physical health of older women, but there is a lack of research on the influence of middle-aged and elderly women on mental health and mediating variables. Therefore, this study starts with one of the important indicators of mental health—positive affects, aiming to explore the impact of square dance on the positive emotions of elderly women and further explore the mediating mechanisms involved. We send out The Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale to a total of 2311 middle-aged and elderly women. SPSS 23 software and PROCESS were used to perform regression analysis and establish mediation models. Modeling results show square dance exercises could positively predict positive affect through the chain mediating effect of psychological resilience and life satisfaction. The results of this study are of great significance for promoting the extensive participation of middle-aged and elderly women in sports and protecting their mental health.