The Impact of Age, COVID-19 and Physical Activity on Life Satisfaction in the European Union: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

In psychology and public health domains, there is a strong interconnection between life satisfaction, an individual’s cognitive evaluation of one’s life, and health status. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions in global lifestyle adaptations, including reduced physical activity (PA), potentially impacting life satisfaction. This study examines the relationships between life satisfaction, PA levels, PA venue preferences, and the influences of COVID-19 on PA. The study utilized data from the European Commission’s Eurobarometer, (GESIS, Cologne. ZA7888 Data file Version 1.0.0, 2022), which collected data across all 27 European Union (EU) Member States. The survey included around 1,000 residents in each EU Member State, 15 years and older. A total of 26,569 respondents were included in the analysis. 77.8% of participants reached the recommended PA levels by the World Health Organization (WHO). Men, young adults, singles, and rural residents had higher rates of achieving optimal physical activity levels. The study used four generalized linear models to examine the impact of selected variables on life satisfaction. The results indicated that both overall and daily life satisfaction were influenced by similar factors, including age, places for PA, COVID-19 impact on PA, and achieving recommended PA levels. Furthermore, the interaction between outdoor PA venues and COVID-19 impact on PA significantly affected life satisfaction, while no significant interaction was observed for indoor PA venues and COVID-19. The current study provides insights into mental health and PA in the post-pandemic period, accounting for different age groups across the EU.