The Influence of Community Physical Exercise on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: the Mediating Role of Social Capital and the Moderating Role of Intergenerational Support

Background Against the backdrop of increasing global population aging, fostering well-being among older adults becomes paramount. This study explored the effects of community physical exercise on the subjective well-being of older adults, as well as the mediating role of social capital and the moderating role of intergenerational support, to help promote healthy aging. Methods This study was conducted in selected urban living communities in Sichuan, China. A total of 319 older adults aged 60 years and older completed this survey by distributing a questionnaire, including the Physical Exercise Level Scale, the Social Capital Scale, the Intergenerational Support Scale, and the Subjective Well-Being Scale, to older adults in the community who participated in physical exercise. The structural equation modeling was tested for mediation and moderating effects using SPSS and PROCESS plug-ins. Results The results of the study showed that older adults' participation in community physical exercise can effectively promote their subjective well-being and also indirectly improve their subjective well-being by increasing social capital. In addition, intergenerational support provided by children moderated the effects of community physical exercise and social capital on subjective well-being, suggesting that children's support can significantly influence the subjective well-being of older adults in Chinese family social relationships. Conclusion Engaging in community physical exercise significantly promoted older adults' subjective well-being, mediated by strengthened social capital. Notably, children's support amplified these positive effects, highlighting the crucial role of family in elder well-being.