Potential Effects of Mediators on Health Perception in Older Adults

Abstract

Several aspects could influence mental and physical components of subjective quality of life perceptions. In particular, healthy diet and physically active lifestyles could play a crucial role for successful aging and sustainable quality of life in advancing years. PURPOSE: To determine the mediating effects of energy expenditure (EE) and intake (EI), body composition (BC) and dissatisfaction (BD) on the relation between age and health and quality of life perception. METHODS: 42 senior athletes, 55 physically active, and 61 sedentary adults (aged 55-85 years) were submitted to anthropometric (body mass, height - Body Mass Index [BMI]), weekly energy expenditure (EE), and dietary intake (EI) evaluations, and administered Body Image Dimensional Assessment (BDI), Short Form Health Survey - Physical (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) questionnaires. Two serial multiple model mediation analyses were applied to assess whether mechanisms involving diet-related and physical activity-related personal characteristics and behaviors (4 mediators: EE, EI, BMI, BDI) mediated the relation between age and PCS or MCS health-related quality of life perception. RESULTS: Only for MCS the mediation analysis showed: a) a direct effect of age on MSC (c’=0.31, p=0.002; CI(95%)=0.12; 0.50); b) a mediation path by EE, EI, BMI, and BDI (-0.0027, Bootstrap CI(95%)=-0.0105; -0.0002); and c) a positive total effect (c=0.22, p=0.02; CI(95%)=0.04; 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of positive and negative effects throughout the mediation path of mental health perception of older individuals underlined that the maintenance of adequate level of physical activity could influence the body image and, in turn, positively impact mental health with advancing age. Supported by MIUR Grant 2010KL2Y73