A need for a comprehensive overview of the relationship between various factors and subjective well-being in older Americans

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future-work section and stated research gap and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1978 and 2026, spanning 5 journals. Those papers have been cited 750 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 5 representative gaps

• Ballroom dance and balance ability in older adults: a serial mediation model of fear of falling and physical self-efficacy (2026) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi

  Future studies may investigate the causal relationships between ballroom dance, fear of falling, physical self-efficacy, and balance ability using longitudinal or experimental designs. Future studies may explore the effects of ballroom dance on other health outcomes, such as cognitive function and mental health, in older adults.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future studies investigate causal relationships between ballroom dance
• Thirty Years of Research on the Subjective Well-being of Older Americans (1978) · Journal of Gerontology · cited 735× · doi

  The study identifies a need for a comprehensive overview of the relationship between various factors and subjective well-being in older Americans. The research notes that prior work has established a relationship between socioeconomic status and subjective well-being, but a comprehensive overview is needed.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study identifies need comprehensive overview relationship between various
• ‘I’m still using my body’ – dancing with the lived musical body: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of embodied knowledge (2025) · Ageing and Society · cited 2× · doi

  The findings contribute to the broader field of dance research, demonstrating how seated dance facilitates accessing and expressing embodied knowledge later in life, and to the limited research on dance in RCHs, positioning dance as a meaningful mode of self-expression and continuity for older adults, supporting their transition to these settings with rich emotional experiences.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: dance contribute broader field demonstrating seated facilitates accessing expressing embodied knowledge later life limited rchs
• Longitudinal associations between leisure activities and subjective happiness among middle-aged and older adults people in China: national cohort study (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · cited 13× · doi

  The gap in understanding the relationship between leisure activities and subjective happiness among middle-aged and older adults. The lack of longitudinal studies examining the relationship between leisure activities and subjective well-being. The need to explore the influence of leisure activities on subjective happiness in the context of an aging society.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: gap understanding relationship between leisure activities subjective happiness
• Square dance participation and subjective well-being among urban older adults: mediating roles of social support and optimism (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi

  Future studies should investigate the longitudinal effects of square dance participation on subjective well-being. Future research should examine the relationship between square dance participation and subjective well-being in different populations. Future studies should develop and test interventions aimed at promoting square dance participation and subjective well-being among older adults.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: future studies investigate longitudinal effects square dance participation

Questions about this gap