The Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy on Physical Function, Aging Anxiety, and Active Aging in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: Aging older adults experience psychological anxiety along with declines in physical function, which decreases the level of active aging and physical activity participation. The purpose of this study was to identify the moderating effect of self-efficacy on active aging to improve the occupational participation of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among older adults in Gwangju and Jeollanamdo using the snowball sampling method. The final sample consisted of 280 adults. The survey included demographic data, the Outpatient Physical Therapy Improvement in Movement Assessment Log, the Anxiety about Aging Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Active Aging Scale, respectively. Using the Hayes PROCESS macro (Models 3.3), moderated effect analyses were performed. Results: A total of 307 participants (aged 65-92 years) and 280 data points were used in the final analysis after excluding 27 incomplete data points. The physical function of older adults has a positive effect on active aging, aging anxiety significantly predicts negative effects, and self-efficacy shows a moderating effect on the relationship between physical function, aging anxiety, and active aging. Conclusions: This study shows the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between physical function, aging anxiety, and active aging in older people. These results suggest that a psychological support program to promote self-efficacy is an important resource as a community support system to prevent decline in occupational participation due to physical function decline and aging anxiety and to improve active aging in older people.