Health-Promoting Behaviors and Well Being among Middle-aged and Older Adults

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of adherence to nutrition guidelines and engaging in regular physical activity on the physical and psychological dimensions of well-being in a sample of middle-aged and older adults. All available sociodemographic indicators were also analyzed in order to investigate potential interactions. A structural equation model was constructed utilizing data from 348 middle-aged and older adults who completed the Health Behavior and Knowledge Survey. Results indicated the model was a good fit to the data, accounting for 40.4% of the variance in physical well-being and 26.3% of variance in psychological well-being. Examination of individual paths within the model indicated complex interactions among variables involved in performance of health-promoting behaviors and in physical and psychological well-being, directly. Indications for future directions are discussed