Perceived community exercise environment and loneliness among middle-aged and older adults in China: psychosocial-behavioral associations, latent profiles, and network analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived community exercise environment and loneliness among middle-aged and older adults in China, investigate the roles of social support and physical activity, and identify distinct environmental perception profiles and key nodes through latent profile analysis and network analysis, thereby providing evidence on factors associated with loneliness in this population. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted from March to April 2026 in community parks, squares, and other public exercise spaces across multiple cities in China. A total of 866 valid responses were included. Participants completed measures of perceived community exercise environment, social support, physical activity, and loneliness. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, serial mediation analysis, latent profile analysis, and network analysis were used for data analysis. Perceived community exercise environment was negatively associated with loneliness and positively associated with social support and physical activity. Social support and physical activity were both negatively associated with loneliness. Serial mediation analysis indicated indirect statistical associations through social support and physical activity, both separately and sequentially. Latent profile analysis identified an environmentally disadvantaged profile and an environmentally advantaged profile. The environmentally disadvantaged profile accounted for 10.51% of the sample and was characterized by lower levels of social support and physical activity and higher loneliness. Network analysis showed that social loneliness and emotional loneliness had the strongest connection. Physical activity, environmental accessibility, and management and maintenance showed relatively strong negative connections with loneliness-related nodes, while social support-related nodes showed relatively high expected influence. Better perceived community exercise environment was associated with lower loneliness, higher social support, and greater physical activity among middle-aged and older adults in China. The findings suggest that community exercise environments should be understood as multidimensional community resources linked to loneliness through social, behavioral, and environmental associations. Accessible, safe, comfortable, and well-maintained public exercise spaces, together with opportunities for group-based activity and social connection, may be associated with active aging and thereby with psychological wellbeing.