Sports participation and social identity among older adult snowbirds: A mixed-methods moderated mediation analysis

In the context of population aging and the active aging strategy, the snowbirds model of seasonal residence has emerged as a new form of inter-regional older adult care. This study employs a mixed-methods design to investigate the relationship between older adult snowbirds' sport participation and their social integration experiences in the destination. Study 1 is qualitative and interpretive, involving in-depth interviews. Based on qualitative findings and literature review, this study conceptualized social identity as one key psychological dimension within the broader process of social integration and proposed a research model, which is empirically examined by analyzing survey data in study 2. The findings indicate that sports participation is positively associated with relational embeddedness and social identity, while being negatively associated with perceived social exclusion among older adult snowbirds. Both relational embeddedness and perceived social exclusion served as significant mediators in the relationship between sports participation and social identity. A significant serial indirect effect from sports participation to social identity through relational embeddedness and perceived social exclusion was also observed. Leisure constraints moderated the association between sports participation and relational embeddedness. No significant difference in social identity was found between the two activity groups. The study proposes recommendations at the individual, family, community, and governmental levels.