Aging & Social Change: Twelfth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This study examines the association between age discrimination and depression among South Korean older adults and whether regular exercise can moderate this association. There has been a noticeable rise in age discrimination in both the media and the society during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Age discrimination results in an internalization of ageist attitudes and stereotypes, resulting in decreased self-efficacy and increased negative emotions, which have negative impacts on the health of older adults. Regular exercise has rarely been discussed as a possible intervention against ageism, but it has been shown to boost self-esteem and enhance positive self-perceptions of aging, so it might reduce the psychological detrimental effects of internalized ageism that are caused by perceived age discrimination. A total of 10,327 older adults (65+) were analyzed using the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans. Depression was regressed on age discrimination while age, gender, education, marital status, self-rated health, and employment status were controlled. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the moderating effect of exercise. We found that higher levels of age discrimination were directly associated with higher levels of depression, and exercise acted as a buffer that decreases the negative influence of age discrimination on depression. In the face of adversity, older adults’ regular exercise serves as an important mechanism for combating ageism by properly managing stress and enhancing self-resilience. Our findings contribute to the development of practice interventions that mitigate the negative effects of age discrimination on older adults, particularly following the pandemic.