Exercise Addiction in Older Adults: Health Preservation or Fear of Death?

The aim of the study is to explore exercise addiction in older adults and the psychological, social and biological factors underlying the exercise addiction.

This study employed a cross-sectional design. 254 participants aged 65 and above were divided into exercise addicted and non-exercise addicted groups in the study. The exercise addiction of participants was assessed using the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). Health-preserving behaviours were evaluated with the Health Protection Behaviour Scale (HPBS). Anxiety related to health was measured using the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), while death anxiety was assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS).

In intergroup analyses, the EAI, HPBS and TDAS scores were higher in the Exercise Addicted Group compared to the Non-Exercise Addicted Group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.009, respectively). However, the HAI score was lower in the Exercise Addicted Group (p = 0.021). In addition, a positive correlation was observed between HPBS and EAI scores (r = 0.454, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between EAI scores and age (r = 0.028, p = 0.654) or HAI (r = -0.088, p = 0.162).

This study found that individuals with exercise addiction had lower BMI, a lower proportion of women and higher education levels. Additionally, while positive relationships were observed between exercise addiction and both health-protective behaviours and death anxiety, a negative relationship was found with health anxiety. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that BMI and higher education level serve as protective factors against exercise addiction, whereas health-protective behaviours and death anxiety function as risk factors.