The Different Roles of Perceived Stress in the Association Between Older Adults' Physical Activity and Physical Health

Objective: This 4-year longitudinal study examined the different roles of perceived stress in the association between older adults' physical activities and physical health. We hypothesized that physical activities would exert beneficial effects on physical health by preventing chronically high...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health psychology 2012-03, Vol.31 (2), p.164-171
Main Authors: Rueggeberg, Rebecca, Wrosch, Carsten, Miller, Gregory E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Chronic Disease - psychology
Chronically
Elderly people
Exercise
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geriatrics
Health Status
Human
Humans
Illness and personality
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Older Adulthood
Perceived Stress
Perception
Personality, behavior and health
Physical Activity
Physical Health
Physical symptoms
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Stress
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective: This 4-year longitudinal study examined the different roles of perceived stress in the association between older adults' physical activities and physical health. We hypothesized that physical activities would exert beneficial effects on physical health by preventing chronically high levels of perceived stress. Methods: We assessed baseline levels of physical activities and repeated measures of perceived stress and physical symptoms in 3 waves of data from a sample of 157 older adults. Results: Among participants with high (but not low) baseline levels of perceived stress, physical activity predicted a 2-year reduction of perceived stress and a 4-year prevention of physical health symptoms. Moreover, the interaction effect on 4-year changes in physical symptoms was mediated by 2-year changes in perceived stress. Conclusions: Physical health benefits of physical activity are particularly pronounced among older adults who perceive high levels of stress, and this effect is mediated by a prevention of chronically high perceptions of stress.
ISSN:0278-6133
1930-7810
DOI:10.1037/a0025242