Square dancing as a mediator between family support and negative emotions among Chinese middle-aged and older adults

Background The aging of the global population has made the mental health of middle-aged and older adults a critical public health priority. While family support is recognized as a vital determinant of active aging and a core source of support and Square Dancing is a collective physical activity widely embraced in China, the complete path through which these elements are connected remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine whether Square Dancing participation mediated the relationship between family support and negative emotions (stress, depression, and anxiety). Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March 2025, involving 4,073 participants from mainland China (mean age = 59.23; 93.7% female). The participants completed the Family Support subscale of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSSS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and an adapted Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), specifically with reference to square dancing. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multigroup analysis to test the mediating effects and age-related variations. Results The structural model demonstrated a good fit. Family support significantly and positively predicted square dancing exercise ( β = 0.073) and negatively predicted stress ( β = −0.219), depression ( β = −0.283), and anxiety ( β = −0.214). Square Dancing exercise was found to partially mediate the effects of family support on depression ( β = −0.003) and anxiety ( β = −0.006), whereas the mediating effect for stress was not statistically significant. Multigroup analysis further indicated that these structural relationships were largely invariant across middle-aged and older adult groups. Conclusion Family support promotes emotional well-being both directly as a stable psychosocial resource and indirectly by facilitating health behaviors, such as square dancing. This protective mechanism generally remains stable across middle-aged and older adult cohorts. These findings provide empirical evidence for promoting mental health through integrated family and community-level interventions, such as encouraging family-supported participation in collective physical activities.