Relationships Between Physical Activity, Social Interaction, and Sense of Belonging Among Older Adults Living in Community-Based Congregate Housing.

Background: Little is known about what factors influence the relationship between physical activity (PA) and sense of belonging. We examined relationships between different forms of PA, social interaction, and belonging among older adults living in community-based congregate housing.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-five participants living in community-based congregate housing in Edmonton, Alberta completed a survey. Participants provided information about demographics; self-reported PA (gardening, active transportation, and recreational PA); objectively measured PA (moderate-to-vigorous PA, light PA, step cadence); frequency of interaction; and neighborhood belonging. A series of regression analyses examined associations between PA, social interaction, and belonging.

Results: Gardening was associated with a sense of belonging, while active transportation and recreational PA were not. Moderate-to-vigorous PA and step cadence showed negative relationships of questionable practical significance, while light PA showed no relationships. Moderate-to-vigorous PA, gardening, and active transportation predicted more frequent social interactions outside of (but not inside) housing complexes. The relationship between gardening and belonging was not significant when social interaction was added to the model.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the importance of contextual factors-including type or domain of PA and setting-in considering the association between PA and sense of belonging among older adults.

Implications: Practitioners and decision makers may consider community gardening to promote PA and connections among older adults in community-based congregate housing. Prospective research is needed to understand if, and how, belonging may be fostered for other domains and types of PA in this population (e.g., quality of interaction as a mediator).