Social Ecological Influences on Physical Activity in Older Adults

Physical activity in older adults is shaped by a complex interplay of factors operating at multiple levels, from individual beliefs and skills through to social relationships, community infrastructure and broader policy contexts. At the individual level, confidence in one’s ability to engage in exercise and personal motivations determine the likelihood of initiating and sustaining activity. Interpersonal networks provide encouragement, companionship and instrumental assistance, while community features such as walkable neighbourhoods, accessible green spaces and safe pathways create opportunities for movement. Societal norms and public policies further modulate these layers by influencing resource allocation, urban planning and health promotion strategies. A social ecological perspective recognises that effective interventions need to address barriers and facilitators across these concentric spheres. Globally, ageing populations face rising burdens of chronic disease and functional decline, underlining the importance of designing multilevel strategies—from reinforcing self-efficacy and building social support to improving the built environment and fostering age-friendly policies—to promote active and healthy later life.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent investigations have applied hierarchical frameworks to disentangle the relative contributions of personal, social and environmental influences on physical activity among older adults. A large cross-sectional survey in Taiwan identified self-efficacy as the strongest individual predictor of moderate to vigorous activity, with neighbourhood characteristics and social support exerting additional positive effects, particularly among those with high confidence. Interaction analyses revealed that a supportive urban setting amplified the influence of self-beliefs on activity levels, emphasising the need for alignment between personal and environmental resources. Meanwhile, cohort analyses in Japan have shown that exercising with others conveys greater health benefits than solitary exercise, even after accounting for total exercise frequency. Older individuals who engaged more often in group activities reported better subjective health and lower risk of depressive symptoms, suggesting that social engagement within exercise contexts acts as a distinct determinant of well-being beyond mere physiological exertion.

Social Ecological Influences on Physical Activity in Older Adults publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in social ecological influences on physical activity in older adults across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Social ecological model: A framework positing that health behaviours arise from interactions among individual, interpersonal, community and policy influences.

Self-efficacy: An individual’s confidence in their ability to perform and maintain a specific health behaviour, such as exercise.

Social support: The perceived or actual assistance and encouragement received from social networks, encompassing emotional, informational, instrumental and companionship dimensions.

Companionship support: A form of social support characterised by shared participation and social interaction during an activity, which enhances motivation and adherence.

Neighbourhood environment: The physical and social attributes of a local area—such as walkability, green spaces and safety—that influence opportunities for physical activity.

References

1. Psychosocial and environmental factors related to physical activity in middle-aged and older adults. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Physical activity and functional social support in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review. BMC Public Health (2024).
3. The Relationship between Social Support for Physical Activity and Physical Activity across Nine Years in Adults Aged 60–65 Years at Baseline. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
4. Exercising alone versus with others and associations with subjective health status in older Japanese: The JAGES Cohort Study. Scientific Reports (2016).