Verification of the Effects of Play Environment on Seniors’ QOL : A Case of Regular Short Tennis Players

Abstract

    A hypothesized model was created to determine if the play environment for seniors participating in short tennis affected their quality of life (QOL) directly or indirectly via their self-efficacy and social networks. We evaluated this model using structural equation modeling. The target subjects were men and women aged 50 and over who participated in activities managed by 13 regional short tennis associations nationwide. We conducted an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey and analyzed the valid responses obtained from 730 participants (response rate: 80.1%) . The results supported the hypothesized model, and our simultaneous analysis of age (<65 or ≥65) and sex differences with this model indicated a good model fit. The following differences were found for the path coefficients among the different age and sex groups. The path coefficient from the play environment to self-efficacy was significantly smaller for men under 65 and women 65 and over when compared with that of women under 65. Moreover, the path coefficient from self-efficacy to QOL was significantly smaller for women 65 and over when compared with that of men under 65. The path coefficient from the play environment to QOL was significantly larger for men and women 65 and over when compared with that of women under 65. Overall, since QOL for senior short tennis players can be affected either directly or indirectly by the play environment and, because the degree and structure of its influence regarding QOL depends on age and sex, it is essential to create play environments that consider age and sex factors.