Can physical exercise promote political participation among the elderly? A mediating analysis of social networks and the moderating role of higher education

OBJECTIVES: Grounded in social capital theory, social network theory, and human capital theory, this study investigates how physical exercise fosters political participation among elderly individuals by enhancing community trust, expanding interpersonal ties, and improving physical and cognitive capacity. This study examines the impact of physical exercise on the political participation of elderly individuals, with a particular focus on the mediating role of social networks and the moderating effect of higher education. METHODS: Using 2,423 samples from the 2021 CGSS, we employ logit regression and OLS to analyze the relationship between physical exercise and political participation. The mediating effect of social networks is tested using a three-step method and bootstrap resampling (1,000 iterations). Robustness checks include adjusting the sample size and applying the Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) method. RESULTS: Physical exercise (PE) positively impacts both political participation behavior (PPB) (β = 0.0597, p < 0.05) and political participation attitudes (PPA) (β = 0.0487, p < 0.01). For individuals without higher education, PE significantly enhances PPA (β = 0.0538, p < 0.01) but has no effect on PPB (β = 0.0464, p > 0.1). Conversely, for highly educated individuals, PE significantly boosts PPB (β = 0.0873, p < 0.01) and PPA (β = 0.0423, p > 0.05). Social networks (SN) mediate the relationship between PE and PPB (β = 0.1134, p < 0.01) but negatively impact PPA (β = -0.0752, p < 0.01), suggesting SN suppresses the positive effect of PE on PPA. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting physical activity in aging policies can enhance civic engagement. Future research should explore long-term effects across different sociopolitical contexts.