Coping with adversity: physical activity as a moderator in adaption to bereavement

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Health Sciences

Background:

• The hedonic treadmill describes adaptation to adverse events like bereavement, which impact subjective well-being.
• This study investigates the moderating role of physical activity on bereavement's effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine if prior physical activity moderates the negative impact of bereavement on life satisfaction.
• To determine the speed of adaptation to bereavement, considering physical activity levels.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 13 waves (1996-2015) of the German Socio-Economic Panel (n=139,097).
• Life satisfaction measured subjective well-being; individual fixed effects regression models used.
• Interaction effects of bereavement and previous physical activity analyzed for males and females.

Main Results:

• Prior physical activity partially offsets the reduction in life satisfaction following bereavement.
• Physical activity's moderation effect was larger for females, though they experienced more severe impacts.
• Males adapted closer to pre-event levels, while females adapted more quickly; increased activity benefited both genders.

Conclusions:

• Previous physical activity accelerates adaptation to bereavement, speeding up the hedonic treadmill.
• The pace of adaptation varies by gender, with physical activity influencing this process differently for males and females.