title: No strain, no gain: psychosocial predictors of physical activity across the adult lifespan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity is an essential ingredient in the recipe for successful aging, yet physical activity engagement declines with advancing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a national sample of 3848 participants aged 32 to 84 (55% women), we examined potential psychosocial moderators of the relationship between age and physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a cross-sectional hierarchical multiple regression analysis [Adj. R2 = .14, F(10, 3546) = 57.10, P < .001] we found that participants reporting higher education (β = .08), higher social support (β = .05), higher social strain (β = .12), and a higher sense of control (β = .09) were significantly more physically active. Furthermore, 2 significant interactions showed that higher education and higher social strain were associated with higher physical activity in older adulthood, suggesting that social strain and education may protect against age-related declines in physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social strain may positively influence adaptive health promoting behaviors. Potential pathways are considered.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Margie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lachman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States