Leisure Participation Behavior and Psychological Well-Being of Elderly Adults: An Empirical Study of Tai Chi Chuan in China

Effects of tai chi, ba duan jin, and walking on the mental health status of urban older people living alone: the mediating role of social participation and the moderating role of the exercise environment

With the global trend of aging, lacking of interpersonal communication and spiritual support and companionship have had a great impact on the mental health of older people living alone. This study examines the multifaceted impacts of engaging in tai chi, ba duan jin, and walking on the mental wellbeing of older people residing alone in urban areas. Additionally, this research aims to explore the association between tai chi, ba duan jin, and walking, and the mental health status of urban older people living alone, by considering the mediating influence of social participation and the moderating influence of the exercise environment. To do so, 1,027 older people living alone in six Chinese cities were investigated using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Geriatric Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Social Participation Indicator System Scale, and the Exercise Environment Scale. SPSS 25.0 was utilized for conducting mathematical statistical analysis, specifically for doing linear regression analysis. Additionally, AMOS was employed to develop the study model. We found that a significant negative correlation between tai chi, ba duan jin, and walking and mental health status; among these, tai chi had the greatest impact on the mental health status of urban older people living alone. Social participation mediated the relationship between tai chi, ba duan jin, walking, and mental health status, and the exercise environment had a moderating effect on this relationship. The findings of this study indicate that tai chi, ba duan jin, and walking have a positive impact on the mental health of urban older people living alone, which can be influenced by the mediating efficacy of social participation and the moderating effect of the exercise environment.

The Influence of Guozhuang Dance on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: The Chain Mediating Effect of Group Identity and Self-Efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the context of the gradually accelerating aging of the population, the subjective well-being of older adults has received extensive research attention. Guozhuang Dance is a collective aerobic exercise that plays an important role in the physical activity of older Chinese adults. Studying the intrinsic relationship between Guozhuang Dance and the subjective well-being can help improve the quality of life and well-being of older adults in their later years. This study was conducted in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China, where many older adults practice Guozhuang Dance. Previous studies pointed out that group identity and self-efficacy can influence well-being in a collective exercise.

METHODS

For this study, we recruited 520 adults (male = 228, female = 292) aged 65 years or older from Chengdu who participated in Guozhuang Dance, to conduct a survey to understand the effect of this exercise on their subjective well-being. The Guozhuang Dance exercise scale, the group identity scale, the self-efficacy scale, and the subjective well-being scale were used in the study. We used SPSS for the descriptive statistical analysis, and AMOS for the structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The results of the study show that Guozhuang Dance has a positive effect on enhancing the subjective well-being of older adults and can increase the subjective well-being through the chain mediating effect of group identity and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that effective measures should be taken to encourage older adults to participate in Guozhuang Dance, in order to enhance their subjective well-being.

Time trend analysis of leisure-time activity participation among young-old adults in China 2002-2018

Background

To examine the time trends of leisure activity engagement among young-old adults aged 65–74 in China over a 16-year period.

Methods

Data for a nationally representative sample of young-old adults was sourced from the 2002–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (N = 9504). Generalized estimating equations regressions were implemented to assess temporal trends for 10 different leisure-time activities. We also evaluated time trends for solitary versus social leisure-time activities.

Results

Young-old adults were less likely to engage in any form of social activities (e.g. participate in social events) over time, controlling for other confounders such as age, sex, education, income, and health characteristics. Trends in outdoor activities participation and tourism also declined over 2002-2014, but reversed in 2018. In contrast, solitary leisure activities (e.g. watching TV) became more popular. There was a significant spike in the likelihood of keeping pets from 2011 onwards, especially among urbanites.

Conclusions

The future elderly in China have tended towards home-bound and solitary leisure activities over time, which warrants policy attention and public health interventions to reverse such trends.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12838-1.

Differences in Older Adults Walking Football Initiation and Maintenance Influences Across Respondent Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Despite health benefits gained from physical activity and sport participation, older adults are less likely to be active. This study investigates what influences 50- to 75-year-olds (N = 439) to initiate and maintain walking football, across gender, socioeconomic status, number of health conditions, and physical activity level. It also considers relationships between participant characteristics and influences, and intentions to play after a forced break (COVID-19). Results of a U.K. online cross-sectional survey found those with two or more health conditions rated social influences significantly higher in initiation and maintenance than participants with no health conditions. Multiple regression analysis found a positive walking football culture, and perceived use of maintenance resources contributed significantly to intentions to return to play after COVID-19 restrictions eased. Practitioners should consider providing opportunities for social connection, foster a positive walking football culture, and encourage players to utilize maintenance resources (e.g., scheduling sessions) in older adult walking football sessions.

The role and importance of perceived risk in medical tourism. Applying the theory of planned behaviour

The main aim of the study was to investigate the role and importance of perceived risk in medical tourism (MT). The research demonstrates that the country of origin and an assessment of the respondents’ own health condition significantly moderates the impact of their attitudes on behavioral intention. The research shows a strong correlation between the risk perceived by the respondents and their attitudes towards MT services. This relationship is significantly moderated by risk awareness, aversion to risk and gender. Additionally, an important factor in the model is the level of satisfaction with medical services in their own country. The survey using a fully structured questionnaire was conducted among young consumers from Jordan, Poland and Turkey. To verify the hypotheses, a multiple regression model with interactions was used.

Barriers and Facilitators for the Romanian Older Adults in Enjoying Physical Activity Health-Related Benefits

Older adults are considered a vulnerable category within the population, which is exposed to an accelerated risk of functional degeneration. The purpose of this study was to explore different facilitating factors and possible existing barriers to being physically active in older age in urban areas of Romania. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 172 participants who were asked to assess their health, on a scale from 1 to 3, and to fill out two questionnaires: 1. Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly; 2. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Participants were also asked to specify to what extent they performed different leisure activities during the last week. SPSS was used for data analysis. The chi-squared test, t-test, ANOVA, and MANOVA emphasised the differences between participants, at p < 0.05. Regarding health condition, 27.3% of participants responded that their health was good, 53.5%—satisfactory, and 19.2%—not so good. The results showed significant differences between older adults participating in Elderly Clubs and non-participants, only in terms of PASE leisure. There were significant multivariate effects of the variables Gender and Stable life partner regarding PASE leisure. Weak negative correlations were identified between leisure physical activities and emotional state. Among the proposed leisure activities, watching TV and listening to music represented the most frequent preferences of the participants. The older adults participating in this study preferred to become involved with different physical activities, in conjunction with their habits, health, age, sex, stable life partner, and Elderly Club participation.

Can the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Help Explain Subjective Well-Being in Senior Citizens due to Gateball Participation?

Promoting successful aging strategies through well-reasoned caregiving programs is, and should be, one of the main objectives of many government policies and their implementing agencies. Well-being has been considered an important indicator of successful aging. Leisure is a key life domain and a core ingredient for overall well-being. Yet, within well-being research, few studies have made the connection between leisure participation as accepted behavior and subjective well-being in senior citizens. This study proposed to examine the applicability of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in explaining senior citizens' decision-making processes in terms of leisure participation behavior and the effect of such behavioral engagement on subjective well-being. The respondents were senior citizens in Taiwan who played gateball and were aged 60 years or older. A total of 595 usable responses were obtained and used to answer the research question. The empirical results indicate that performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions are positively and significantly related to senior citizens' gateball participation behavior. In addition, gateball participation behavior had a positive and significant effect on respondents' subjective well-being. The results of this study not only extend the application of UTAUT in terms of participation behavior in leisure activities, but also can provide gateball associations and government entities a theoretical model for developing and promoting gateball programs which serve or involve the elderly, as well as helping older adults to pursue satisfactory levels of wellbeing.

Different Training Durations and Frequencies of Tai Chi for Bone Mineral Density Improvement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

Tai Chi shows potential as a safe and cost-effective intervention to improve bone mineral density (BMD). However, the various effects caused by different training durations and frequencies have not been evaluated. This updated systematic review aims to explore the effectiveness of Tai Chi in attenuating bone mineral density loss based on different training durations and frequencies.

Methods

We conducted an extensive database search in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, Wanfang Data, and China Science and Technology Journal Database on randomized controlled trials that examined Tai Chi for BMD improvement. Two reviewers independently performed data screening and extraction. Study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Results

A total of 23 randomized controlled trials involving 1582 patients were identified. The aggregated results have shown significant benefits in favor of Tai Chi on BMD improvement in the lumbar spine (SMD = 0.36, 95% [0.13, 0.59], P=0.002), femoral neck (SMD = 0.40, 95% [0.16, 0.63], P=0.0009), femoral trochanter (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI [0.20, 0.66], P=0.0002), and Ward's triangle (SMD = 0.31, 95% [0.15, 0.48], P=0.002). Such favorable benefits in Tai Chi can only be seen when compared with the nonexercise group, and Tai Chi showed no significant improvement in BMD change when compared with other exercises group. Subgroup analyses showed various effects of BMD improvement based on different training durations and frequencies of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is effective in attenuating BMD loss with an intervention frequency of >4 days/week in the lumbar spine, with an intervention frequency of >4 days/week or an intervention duration of >10 months in the femoral neck, and with an intervention duration of >10 months or a frequency of ≤4 days/week in Ward's triangle.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated that Tai Chi may have benefits in attenuating BMD loss. Different training durations and frequencies may result in variable effectiveness. Researchers should focus more on the training durations and frequencies of Tai Chi so that a more definitive claim can be made regarding the beneficial effects for BMD improvement.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour in Medical Tourism: International Comparison in the Young Consumer Segment

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) assumes the possibility of predicting and explaining humans' behaviour by identifying their intentions. The intentions are shaped by three groups of factors: attitudes towards, social norms and perceived behavioural control over the behaviour. The aim of the research is to examine the applicability of the TPB in medical tourism and to check whether there are differences in predicting the intentions of medical tourists from different countries. The study covered potential medical tourists-521 young consumers from three regionally important markets in medical tourism services: Jordan, Poland and Turkey. The study used a research survey to collect data, which were analysed using the multiple regression and analysis of variance methods. The research showed that the TPB model can be used in medical tourism. The results also show that the consumers' country of origin is a significant factor when predicting their intention to use medical tourism services.