title: Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: efficacy, esteem, and affective influences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity has been effective in enhancing quality of life (QOL) of older adults over relatively short periods of time. However, little is known about the long-term effects of physical activity and even less about the possible mediators of this relationship.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the mediating effects of psychological variables on the relationship between physical activity and global QOL (satisfaction with life) in older adults over a 4-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 174, M age = 66.7 years) completed a battery of psychosocial measures at 1 and 5 years following enrollment in a 6-month randomized controlled exercise trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Panel analysis conducted within a covariance modeling framework indicated that physical activity was related to self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and positive affect at 1 year, and in turn, greater levels of self-efficacy and positive affect were associated with higher levels of QOL. Analyses indicated that changes in physical activity over the 4-year period were related to increases in physical self-esteem and positive affect, but only positive affect directly influenced improvements in QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings lend support to the position that physical activity effects on QOL are in part mediated by intermediate psychological outcomes and that physical activity can have long-term effects on well-being.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Steriani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elavsky
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McAuley
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Motl
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Konopack
authors.forename: David X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Marquez
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Gerald J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jerome
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diener
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012016:Reference Values; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy