This study examined if physical activity (PA) and self‐determination theory's basic psychological needs directly or interactively predict older adults' eudaimonic well‐being. Participants aged ≥55 years completed five online surveys. At baseline (T1), participants (N = 430) reported on autonomy, competence, and relatedness experienced during PA. PA was assessed prospectively using the Physical Activity Scale for Elderly (recall period = 7 days) for four consecutive weeks (T2, T3, T4, and T5); weekly PA scores were averaged. At T5, purpose in life and personal growth were measured using Ryff's scales of psychological well‐being. In regression analyses, PA was associated with purpose in life for those reporting low relatedness (b = .04, p = .02). Competence was associated with purpose in life only for those high in relatedness (b = .34, p < .001). Autonomy was positively associated with personal growth for those who also reported high competence. Multiple imputation analyses (N = 430) and sensitivity analyses (n = 304) yielded findings consistent with those from complete cases (n = 182). Encouraging older people to move more may not be sufficient to confer well‐being. It may be necessary to help people engage in activities that support their basic psychological needs.
Poor self-rated health consistently predicts reduced longevity, even when objective disease conditions and risk factors are considered. Purpose in life is also a reliable predictor of diverse health outcomes, including greater longevity. Given prior work in which we showed that purpose in life moderated the association between chronic conditions and health-related biological factors, the aim of the current study was to examine the role of purpose in life in moderating the relationship between subjective health and mortality. We also examined potential differences in these associations by race/ethnicity. Data were from two large national longitudinal studies—the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study—with a 12- to 14-year follow-up period for mortality estimates. Results of logistic regression analyses showed that purpose in life and self-rated health were both significantly positively associated with longevity, and that purpose in life significantly moderated the relationship between self-rated health and mortality. Stratified analyses showed similar results across all racial/ethnic groups, with the exception of Black MIDUS participants. These results suggest that greater purpose in life may provide a buffer against the greater probability of mortality associated with poor subjective health.
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