Successful Aging of Korean Older Adults Engaging in Sports Regularly: Health Beliefs, Exercise Adherence Intention, and Health Promotion Behavior

Abstract

The population of older adults is increasing more rapidly in Korea than in any other country, making successful aging a salient need in Korean society. For successful aging, older adults must engage in sports activities regularly. This study determined the relationships among health beliefs, exercise adherence intention, health promotion behavior, and successful aging among older adults who engage in sports activities regularly. The participants were 287 adults aged 65 years or older who live in Korea and exercise regularly. Data were collected through a survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. The integrated model lacked explanatory power in terms of goodness of fit, but the alternative model had sufficient explanatory power. The alternative model showed that health beliefs, exercise adherence intention, and health promotion behavior are significantly related and that health promotion behavior positively predicts successful aging. It also showed that health beliefs affect successful aging through the mediation of exercise adherence intention and health promotion behavior. This study is meaningful because it verifies the structural and theoretical relationships among health beliefs, exercise adherence intention, health promotion behavior, and successful aging. As a result, it provides information that can improve the welfare of older adults in Korean society.