ArticleBMC geriatrics2026
The relationship between physical activity participation and prosocial behavior among older adults: the mediating role of empathy.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesWith the issue of global aging, interpersonal relationships among older adults are diminishing in both scope and quality, rendering them more vulnerable to social neglect and exclusion. This phenomenon leads to an increase in feelings of loneliness among the older population and a decrease in prosocial behavior, which significantly impacts their psychological well-being and overall quality of life. Therefore, it is imperative for governments and society to prioritize this issue. Our study aims to investigate the impact of older adults’ engagement in physical activities on their prosocial behavior, with a specific focus on examining the mediating role of “social empathy”.
methodsA random cross-sectional survey was conducted among 466 older adults who engaged in exercise. These participants completed questionnaires assessing their levels of Physical Exercise Participation, Prosocial Behavior, and Interpersonal Response Indicators. The data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 26.0).
resultsThe mediating effect of empathy on the relationship between older adults’ participation in physical activities and their pro-social behavior was found to be statistically significant (Z = 3.74, p < 0.001). Specifically, cognitive empathy significantly mediated this relationship (Z = 4.71, p < 0.001), as did emotional empathy (Z = 3.23, p < 0.001).
conclusionThe study revealed that engaging in physical activities can significantly promote prosocial behavior among older Chinese adults. Additionally, participation in such activities enhances social empathy levels among older adults. The research underscores the pivotal role of social empathy in fostering prosocial behavior. It was observed that older adults who engaged in physical activities demonstrated higher levels of prosocial behavior. Additionally, empathy was found to amplify the positive impact of physical activity on prosocial behavior.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.