Background With the increasing pressure of a global aging population, ensuring and improving the well-being of the elderly is directly related to social harmony and stability. In the field of exercise psychology, the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being has attracted much attention, but research on the elderly group has been rarely reported. Therefore, the presented paper aims to investigate the effect of physical activity on the subjective well-being of the elderly and reveal the role of self-efficacy between physical activity and subjective well-being. Methods By means of Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES), and Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS), a questionnaire survey was conducted among 780 elderly people in Chongqing, China. And the data were processed and analyzed by SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 statistical software. Results (1) Compared with women, elderly men have higher levels of physical exercise (t = 3.18, p < 0.01), self-efficacy (t = 2.06, p < 0.05), and subjective well-being (t = 2.37, p < 0.05). Moreover, there are significant differences in physical exercise volume between urban and rural areas and BMI among the elderly, manifested as higher exercise volume among the elderly in urban areas (t = 2.28, p < 0.05) and those with normal BMI (F = 4.21, p < 0.05); (2) The amount of physical activity was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.41, p < 0.001) and subjective well-being (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), and self-efficacy was positively correlated with subjective well-being (r = 0.26, p < 0.001); (3) In the male model, physical exercise can directly and positively predict subjective well-being (ES = 0.20), and self-efficacy had a partial mediating effect between physical exercise and subjective well-being (ES = 0.071); In the female model, physical exercise can also directly and positively predict subjective well-being (ES = 0.26), and self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in physical exercise and subjective well-being (ES = 0.066). Conclusion Whether male or female, the elderly should actively participate in physical exercise, which is significantly associated with the improvement of self-efficacy and subjective well-being levels.

Relationship among physical activity, self-efficacy and subjective well-being of the elderly: a cross-sectional study

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2026年4月14日

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Yongsen Liu,
Mufan Zhang,
Kun Wang,
Jiong Luo,
Chen Hao

摘要

Background

With the increasing pressure of a global aging population, ensuring and improving the well-being of the elderly is directly related to social harmony and stability. In the field of exercise psychology, the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being has attracted much attention, but research on the elderly group has been rarely reported. Therefore, the presented paper aims to investigate the effect of physical activity on the subjective well-being of the elderly and reveal the role of self-efficacy between physical activity and subjective well-being.

Methods

By means of Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES), and Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS), a questionnaire survey was conducted among 780 elderly people in Chongqing, China. And the data were processed and analyzed by SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 statistical software.

Results

(1) Compared with women, elderly men have higher levels of physical exercise (t = 3.18, p < 0.01), self-efficacy (t = 2.06, p < 0.05), and subjective well-being (t = 2.37, p < 0.05). Moreover, there are significant differences in physical exercise volume between urban and rural areas and BMI among the elderly, manifested as higher exercise volume among the elderly in urban areas (t = 2.28, p < 0.05) and those with normal BMI (F = 4.21, p < 0.05); (2) The amount of physical activity was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.41, p < 0.001) and subjective well-being (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), and self-efficacy was positively correlated with subjective well-being (r = 0.26, p < 0.001); (3) In the male model, physical exercise can directly and positively predict subjective well-being (ES = 0.20), and self-efficacy had a partial mediating effect between physical exercise and subjective well-being (ES = 0.071); In the female model, physical exercise can also directly and positively predict subjective well-being (ES = 0.26), and self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in physical exercise and subjective well-being (ES = 0.066).

Conclusion

Whether male or female, the elderly should actively participate in physical exercise, which is significantly associated with the improvement of self-efficacy and subjective well-being levels.