Positive Affectivity Influences Subjective Age and Daily Moving in Older Adults

Subjective age, positive and negative affect are individually linked to physical activity but have not been measured at the same time. The combination of high and low levels of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) forming either congruent or differentiated affectivity profiles, is also under researched. This cross-sectional study examined subjective age and the combined effect of positive and negative affectivity on physical activity in 34 older adults (age 70 ± 4 years, 50% female). Exploratory regression analyses revealed significant associations between the differentiated affectivity profile, PA ascendency (where positive affectivity was higher than negative affectivity), and daily moving. Positive affectivity was consistently related to physical activity measures where subjective age and negative affectivity were not. PA ascendency predicted subjective age. Older adults with a differentiated affectivity profile felt younger than their chronological age and moved more during each day. Focusing on combined affectivity profiles and promoting positive affectivity may be a promising strategy for increasing physical activity in older adults. Future research replicating this approach with larger sample sizes is advocated.