Research Article

Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity

Number: Advanced Online Publication Early Pub Date: July 16, 2026

Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity

Abstract

Successful aging (SA) refers to maintaining psychological and functional capacities as individuals age, while satisfaction with life (SL) represents individuals’ cognitive evaluation of their overall well-being. This study examined the relationships between successful aging strategies—tackling problems (TP) and healthy lifestyle (HL)—and SL among women who regularly play tennis as a leisure activity. Using purposive sampling, 115 women from two pilot provinces in Türkiye participated in the study. Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the three-factor measurement model. Structural equation modelling indicated that TP significantly and positively predicted SL, whereas HL showed a weaker association. The structural model explained 44% of the variance in SL. Additionally, moderation analyses tested whether weekly tennis participation duration influenced these relationships; however, participation time did not significantly moderate the associations between SA strategies and SL. The findings highlight the importance of tackling problem resources in supporting women's life satisfaction when engaging in leisure-based physical activity. By focusing on women's leisure tennis participation in middle adulthood, the study contributes to the literature on successful aging by linking leisure-based sport participation to psychosocial resources associated with life satisfaction.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study was not supported by any institution and received no financial support.

Ethical Statement

This research was approved by the Ethics Committee Pamukkale University Social and Human Sciences Research and Publication (Decision No: 68282350/2025/4, dated March 14, 2025).

Thanks

This study was presented as an oral presentation at the 8th World Women Studies Conference on March 7-8, 2025. We sincerely thank the women who participated in the study and the tennis club officials who granted permission for data collection.

References

  1. Antonucci, T. C. (2001). Social relations: An examination of social networks, social support, and sense of control. In J. E. Birren & K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging. 5th Edition, 427-453. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  2. Arslan, S., & Çalılık, T. (2024). Yaşam boyu spor bağlamında kadınların spora yönelmesinde etkili olan unsurlar (Kırıkkale ili örneği). The Journal of Academic Social Science, 76(76), 66-76. https://doi.org/10.16992/ASOS.13996
  3. Beard, J. R., Officer, A., de Carvalho, I. A., Sadana, R., Pot, A. M., Michel, J. P., Lloyd-Sherlock, P., Epping-Jordan, J. E., Peeters, G. M. E. E. G., Mahanani, W. R., Thiyagarajan, J. A., & Chatterji, S. (2016). The World report on ageing and health: A policy framework for healthy ageing. Lancet. 387(10033), 2145-2154. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00516-4
  4. Belza, B., & Warms, C. (2004). Physical activity and exercise in women’s health. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 39(1), 181-viii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2003.11.011
  5. Biddle, S. J. H., & Asare, M. (2011). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: A review of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(11), 867-876. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185
  6. Bondarev, D., Sipilä, S., Finni, T., Kujala, U. M., Aukee, P., Kovanen, V., Laakkonen, E. K., & Kokko, K. (2021). Associations of physical performance and physical activity with mental well-being in middle-aged women. BMC Public Health, 21, 1448. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11485-2
  7. Bozyiğit, E., Karagöz, Ş., Karsai, I., & Tornóczky, G. J. (2026). Contribution of tennis involvement to successful aging: The case of masters tennis players. Sports, 14(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14010017
  8. Bulgu, N., Arıtan, C. K., & Aşçı, F. H. (2007). Gündelik yaşam, kadın, ve fiziksel aktivite. Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 18(4), 167-181. https://izlik.org/JA63HX86ZL

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sports and Recreation

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

July 16, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

January 18, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

APA
Bozyiğit, E., & Karagöz, Ş. (2026). Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1865961
AMA
1.Bozyiğit E, Karagöz Ş. Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1865961
Chicago
Bozyiğit, Elif, and Şeniz Karagöz. 2026. “Successful Aging and Satisfaction With Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis As a Leisure Activity”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1865961.
EndNote
Bozyiğit E, Karagöz Ş (July 1, 2026) Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences Advanced Online Publication
IEEE
[1]E. Bozyiğit and Ş. Karagöz, “Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity”, Pamukkale J Sport Sci, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi: 10.54141/psbd.1865961.
ISNAD
Bozyiğit, Elif - Karagöz, Şeniz. “Successful Aging and Satisfaction With Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis As a Leisure Activity”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences. Advanced Online Publication (July 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1865961.
JAMA
1.Bozyiğit E, Karagöz Ş. Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026. doi:10.54141/psbd.1865961.
MLA
Bozyiğit, Elif, and Şeniz Karagöz. “Successful Aging and Satisfaction With Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis As a Leisure Activity”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi:10.54141/psbd.1865961.
Vancouver
1.Elif Bozyiğit, Şeniz Karagöz. Successful Aging and Satisfaction with Life Among Women in Middle Adulthood Playing Tennis as a Leisure Activity. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026 Jul. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1865961