Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Needs in the Association Between Exercise Goal Content and Subjective Well-Being in Portuguese Older Adults

<b>Background</b>: This study aimed to examine the association between different exercise goals and their impact on subjective well-being (SWB) variables, namely, positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and satisfaction with life (SWL), as well as to explore the mediating role of basic psychological needs (BPNs) in this relationship within a sample of Portuguese older adults. <b>Methods</b>: The sample study constituted 298 individuals (233 females, 65 males), aged between 60 and 90 years (M = 68.43; SD = 6.48). Through model four of the Process macro for SPSS version 3.5, a simple mediation analysis was carried out. <b>Results</b>: The results show that BPNs mediated the relationship between goal content for exercise health management and PA and SWL; goal content for exercise skill development and PA; goal content for exercise image, PA, and SWL; and goal content for exercise social affiliation and PA. <b>Conclusions</b>: Thus, we can conclude that BPNs stand out as a relevant mediator in the relationship between goal content for exercise and SWB variables, which reinforces the importance of BPNs in SWB promotion in the older population.