earticle

영어

This study investigated Chinese adults aged 60 and above, focusing on the relationships among perceived age discrimination, feelings of helplessness, and the exercise adherence, while also examining the moderating role of social support. The findings reveal that perceived age discrimination significantly increases feelings of helplessness, which in turn reduces the exercise adherence—demonstrating a partial mediating effect. Moreover, age discrimination negatively influences exercise adherence both directly and indirectly through helplessness. Importantly, social support serves as a significant moderator. High levels of support effectively buffer the negative effects of age discrimination on both helplessness and exercise adherence, to the extent that the direct and indirect effects become nearly negligible. Based on these results, future research is encouraged to adopt longitudinal designs to better capture dynamic processes, examine the distinct effects of different types of social support, and include more diverse elderly populations to enhance generalizability. Incorporating frameworks such as active aging, self-efficacy, and social belonging could also offer deeper insights into how older adults adapt psychologically and behaviorally in the face of discrimination. Overall, this study enriches the theoretical understanding of the psychological mechanisms shaping exercise behavior in later life and provides valuable guidance for promoting healthy aging through supportive interventions.