Associations of Socioeconomic Status and Group Exercise Participation With Happiness in Older Japanese Adults: A Mediation Analysis.
Socioeconomic status (SES) and group exercise participation (GEP) influence happiness. Higher SES may be necessary for the GEP. However, the interrelationships among these factors remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between SES and happiness among older adults, focusing on the potential mediating role of GEP.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1375 community-dwelling older adults aged 60-89 years residing in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Of these, 1062 participants (581 men and 481 women) with available data from a self-administered questionnaire returned by mail were included in the final analysis. To integrate key SES variables (economic status, educational level, and work engagement), principal component analysis was used. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and mediation analysis were used to examine the mutual relationships between SES, GEP, and happiness.
ANCOVA confirmed significant effects for SES and GEP but no interaction effect. In the mediation analysis of the total sample, SES was associated with happiness directly (β = 0.194) and indirectly via GEP (SES-GEP β = 0.100; GEP-happiness β = 0.112). In sex-stratified analyses, a similar association was observed among women. In contrast, SES and GEP were independently associated with happiness in men.
This study observed that SES and GEP were positively associated with happiness in older adults. SES facilitates GEP in women, whereas in men, both factors independently contribute to their happiness. Our results suggest that a portion of women's happiness is based on SES fulfillment, which leads to GEP and reinforces their happiness.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1375 community-dwelling older adults aged 60-89 years residing in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Of these, 1062 participants (581 men and 481 women) with available data from a self-administered questionnaire returned by mail were included in the final analysis. To integrate key SES variables (economic status, educational level, and work engagement), principal component analysis was used. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and mediation analysis were used to examine the mutual relationships between SES, GEP, and happiness.
ANCOVA confirmed significant effects for SES and GEP but no interaction effect. In the mediation analysis of the total sample, SES was associated with happiness directly (β = 0.194) and indirectly via GEP (SES-GEP β = 0.100; GEP-happiness β = 0.112). In sex-stratified analyses, a similar association was observed among women. In contrast, SES and GEP were independently associated with happiness in men.
This study observed that SES and GEP were positively associated with happiness in older adults. SES facilitates GEP in women, whereas in men, both factors independently contribute to their happiness. Our results suggest that a portion of women's happiness is based on SES fulfillment, which leads to GEP and reinforces their happiness.
Authors
Beltran Patino Beltran Patino, Nagata Nagata, Tsunoda Tsunoda, Shibuya Shibuya, Yoon Yoon, Okura Okura
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