The Moderating Effect of Subjective Health Status on the Influence of Attitudes Toward Aging on Depression: Focusing on Middle-aged and Older Adults Aged 50 and Above

This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of subjective health status on the relationship between attitudes toward aging and depression among middle-aged and older adults.To explore this research question, a survey was conducted with middle-aged adults (50-64 years) and older adults (65 years and above).The survey was administered through a professional survey agency in April 2024, using quota sampling to ensure balanced representation of age groups and genders.A total of 400 valid responses were collected and analyzed.Data were analyzed using SPSS Win 24.0, employing reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analysis.To examine the moderating effect, PROCESS macro version 4.2 for SPSS was utilized.First, significant differences were observed in the main variables based on socio-demographic characteristics.Specifically, participants with better economic status and more positive family relationships exhibited more positive attitudes toward aging, lower levels of depression, and better subjective health status.Second, attitudes toward aging had a positive effect on depression.Third, subjective health status was found to be a significant moderator in the relationship between attitudes toward aging and depression.In groups with good subjective health, the negative impact of negative attitudes toward aging on depression was mitigated.Conversely, in groups with poor subjective health, negative attitudes toward aging significantly increased depression.This study confirms the moderating effect of subjective health status on the relationship between attitudes toward aging and depression.These findings provide an academic and practical foundation for developing interventions to promote mental health in later life.