Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: A growing body of research suggests that physical activity (PA) is positively associated with psychological well-being in various populations. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the preventive or curative effect of PA on negative psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety, while largely ignored the positive psychological well-being, which is commonly conceptualized by two distinct dimensions, i.e., hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being. Both hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being are predictive of various health outcomes in older adults. Therefore, there is a need for more research to explore the relationship between PA and psychological well-being, especially the positive aspects of psychological well-being, in the older population. This dissertation includes three distinct but related papers to extend our current knowledge on the relationship between PA and psychological well-being in older adults. In the first study, I used the longitudinal data collected at three time points from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the potential bidirectional relationship between PA and purpose in life, the latter of which is a key component of eudaimonic well-being, in a sample of 4591 older individuals. The cross-lagged panel analysis, adjusting for a range of sociodemographic and health covariates, did not support a bidirectional relationship between PA and purpose in life in older adults. While purpose in life was positively associated with future vigorous-intensity PA, moderate-intensity PA, and light-intensity PA, none of the PA variables predicted purpose in life in later time points. The second study and the third study were based on a 12-week multicomponent intervention conducted in older adults living in retirement communities. A total of 58 participants were voluntarily assigned to the experimental group (n =40) or the comparison group (n=18). The intervention group attended three 45-min group exercise lessons per week and wore a Fitbit activity tracker during the weekdays for 12 weeks combined with weekly feedback and personalized activity goals. The second study only involved participants in the experimental group and examined the effectiveness and acceptability of the Fitbit activity tracker for promoting PA. Daily step counts measured by the Fitbit activity tracker indicated that participants had an average increase of 900 steps/day from baseline to the end of the intervention. Individual interviews and the Acceptance questionnaire suggested that the Fitbit activity tracker was an acceptable and useful tool for older adults to self-track their PA. The third study examined the intervention effects on life satisfaction, happiness, eudaimonic well-being, depressive symptoms. Linear mixed models revealed that participants in the experimental group significantly improved happiness compared to the comparison group after controlling for baseline age and self-rated health. However, there was no difference regarding the changes in life satisfaction, eudaimonic well-being, and depressive symptoms between the two groups. Overall, this dissertation expands the current knowledge about the relationship between PA and psychological well-being in older adults. Combining the results from these studies suggests that the effect of PA on psychological well-being may differ by different components of psychological well-being. Future research should seek to explore the mechanisms linking the possible relationship between PA and psychological well-being, and develop more effective PA interventions to improve psychological well-being for the older population.
Author: Zhanjia Zhang
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3123711270