Explaining the age-moderation effects in the relation between immediate benefits and physical activity: A mediated moderation analysis

Background: Older adults are the least physically active age segment. Understanding age-related determinants of physical activity remains a priority. While distal benefits of physical activity (PA) are well reported, immediate benefits can also enhance PA. Older adults, perceiving future time as more limited, may find immediate benefits more motivating. In addition, older adults are more health-conscious and may find PA benefits consistent with their belief system.
Aims: This study examined whether increased age was associated with a shortened future-time perspective and increased health consciousness, which strengthened the association between immediate benefits and subsequent PA.
Methods: In a prospective survey, 241 older and 180 younger adults reported their perceived importance of immediate PA benefits, future-time perspective and health consciousness at baseline and reported their past 7-day PA at a one-week follow-up.
Results: The total mediated moderation effect was significant, b =.05 (95% bias-corrected CI:.01,.10). Specifically, the mediated moderation effects of future-time perspective was significant, b =.02 (.002,.06) but that of health consciousness was not, b =.03 (−.01,.06). Surprisingly, the direct age moderation was significant and negative, b = −.16 (−.27, −.05), indicating the relation between immediate benefits and PA was stronger among younger adults.
Discussion: As expected, older adults perceived future time as more limited, and hence, immediate benefits were more predictive of PA.
Conclusion: The findings support the time perspective concordance hypothesis and suggest that younger adults may find immediate benefits motivating for very different reasons that require further investigation.
© 2025 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.