Traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises and self-worth in older adults: a moderated mediation model

Objective This study examined the association between traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises and self-worth in older adults, focusing on the mediating role of self-identity and the moderating role of social support. Method A cluster sampling approach was adopted to recruit 500 older adults from 12 representative Tai Chi and Health Qigong associations in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area for a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected using the Traditional Chinese Health-Preserving Exercise Scale, the Self-Identity Scale, the Social Support Scale, and the Self-Worth Scale. Amos 26.0 was used to assess the reliability and validity of the scales. SPSS 27.0 was employed to conduct descriptive statistics and correlation analyses for the four variables, followed by multiple linear regression to examine the total association. Subsequently, the SPSS PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 7) was used to test the mediating role of self-identity and the moderated mediation model, respectively. Results Significant positive correlations were observed between any two of the four variables: traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises, self-identity, social support, and self-worth ( p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises were significantly and positively associated with self-worth ( β = 0.104, p < 0.05). The indirect pathway from traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises to self-worth through self-identity was significant [ β = 0.095, Bootstrap 95% CI (0.018, 0.165)]. Moreover, social support moderated the association between traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises and self-identity, which was strongest at high levels of social support ( β = 0.365, p < 0.001), and the mediating role of self-identity was significant only at high levels of social support [ β = 0.143, Bootstrap 95% CI (0.052, 0.231)]. Conclusion Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of self-worth, self-identity, and social support, this study suggests that among older adults who enjoy robust social support networks, regular engagement in traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises is associated with the development and reinforcement of self-identity across physiological, psychological, and social dimensions. Within this process, older adults may become increasingly oriented toward contemplating the meaning of life in a natural context, shifting from a focus on external achievements toward exploring inner peace and the inherent value of life, and this reorientation may accompany the fulfillment of self-worth.