Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise
Background: This study examines the association between perceived age discrimination and depression among South Korean older adults and whether regular exercise can moderate this association. There has been a noticeable rise in ageism in both the media and the society during and following the COVID-...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Aging and Health Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000398 |
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| author | Hyun Kang Emily S. Ihara |
| author_facet | Hyun Kang Emily S. Ihara |
| author_sort | Hyun Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: This study examines the association between perceived age discrimination and depression among South Korean older adults and whether regular exercise can moderate this association. There has been a noticeable rise in ageism in both the media and the society during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived age discrimination can lead to an internalization of ageist attitudes and stereotypes, resulting in decreased self-efficacy and increased negative emotions, which negatively impact on the health of older adults. While regular exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem and enhance positive self-perceptions of aging, its potential as an intervention against the psychological impact of age discrimination is under-explored. Methods: Using data from 9,920 participants (aged 65+) in the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans, depression was regressed on age discrimination controlling for age, gender, education, marital status, self-rated health, employment status, and activities of daily living (ADLs). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the moderating effect of exercise. Results: Higher levels of perceived age discrimination were directly associated with higher levels of depression. Regular exercise significantly moderated this relationship, reducing the negative impact of perceived age discrimination on depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Considering the rise of ageism in South Korea, regular exercise can serve as an important mechanism for combating ageism by effectively managing stress and enhancing self-resilience. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting exercise as a potential strategy to mitigate the detrimental mental health effects of age discrimination, particularly in the post-pandemic era. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85dff6ecd4554c2095390ba77f9aa978 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-0321 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aging and Health Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-85dff6ecd4554c2095390ba77f9aa9782025-01-04T04:57:19ZengElsevierAging and Health Research2667-03212025-03-0151100218Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exerciseHyun Kang0Emily S. Ihara1Department of Social Work, College of Health and Behavioral Studies, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, United States; Corresponding author at: Department of Social Work, James Madison University, MSC 4303, 235 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, United States.Department of Social Work, College of Public Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United StatesBackground: This study examines the association between perceived age discrimination and depression among South Korean older adults and whether regular exercise can moderate this association. There has been a noticeable rise in ageism in both the media and the society during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived age discrimination can lead to an internalization of ageist attitudes and stereotypes, resulting in decreased self-efficacy and increased negative emotions, which negatively impact on the health of older adults. While regular exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem and enhance positive self-perceptions of aging, its potential as an intervention against the psychological impact of age discrimination is under-explored. Methods: Using data from 9,920 participants (aged 65+) in the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans, depression was regressed on age discrimination controlling for age, gender, education, marital status, self-rated health, employment status, and activities of daily living (ADLs). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the moderating effect of exercise. Results: Higher levels of perceived age discrimination were directly associated with higher levels of depression. Regular exercise significantly moderated this relationship, reducing the negative impact of perceived age discrimination on depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Considering the rise of ageism in South Korea, regular exercise can serve as an important mechanism for combating ageism by effectively managing stress and enhancing self-resilience. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting exercise as a potential strategy to mitigate the detrimental mental health effects of age discrimination, particularly in the post-pandemic era.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000398Perceived age discriminationDepressionExercise2020 National Survey of Older Koreans |
| spellingShingle | Hyun Kang Emily S. Ihara Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise Aging and Health Research Perceived age discrimination Depression Exercise 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans |
| title | Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise |
| title_full | Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise |
| title_fullStr | Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise |
| title_short | Age discrimination and depression among older adults in South Korea: Moderating effects of exercise |
| title_sort | age discrimination and depression among older adults in south korea moderating effects of exercise |
| topic | Perceived age discrimination Depression Exercise 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000398 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hyunkang agediscriminationanddepressionamongolderadultsinsouthkoreamoderatingeffectsofexercise AT emilysihara agediscriminationanddepressionamongolderadultsinsouthkoreamoderatingeffectsofexercise |