Psychological Connection to the Gay Community and Negative Self-Appraisals in Middle-Aged and Older Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Mediating Effects of Fitness Engagement

Mark Brennan-Ing, Sabina Haberlen, Deanna Ware, James E Egan, Andre L Brown, Steven Meanley, Frank J Palella, Robert Bolan, Judith A Cook, Chukwuemeka N Okafor, M Reuel Friedman and Michael W Plankey

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2022, vol. 77, issue 1, 39-49

Abstract: ObjectivesConnections to the gay community may elicit negative self-appraisals among men who have sex with men (MSM), which may be exacerbated for people with HIV (PWH). Fitness engagement may mediate self-appraisals by maintaining or improving appearance and health. We hypothesized that gay community connections would be positively related to negative self-appraisal and explored whether this association would be mediated by fitness engagement and moderated by HIV status.MethodData were obtained from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Healthy Aging study (N = 1,026; PWH n = 525; people without HIV [PWOH] n = 501). Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined associations between gay community connections, negative self-appraisal (body image dissatisfaction, self-perception of aging), and fitness engagement (physical activity, motivation to be fit). Multiple-group SEM tested the moderating effects of HIV serostatus.ResultsThe SEM fit the data well (root mean square error of approximation = 0.056; 90% CI: 0.046, 0.066). Connection to the gay community was inversely related to negative self-appraisals and positively related to fitness engagement. Fitness engagement mediated the association between community connections and negative self-appraisal and was inversely related to negative self-appraisals. Among PWH, the association between community connections and self-appraisal was weaker and the effect of fitness engagement on negative self-appraisal was stronger compared to PWOH.DiscussionConnection to the gay community may be a source of resilience for aging MSM by lessening negative self-appraisals and promoting strategies that address body image dissatisfaction and self-perceptions of aging. Interventions facilitating connections to the gay community may support healthy aging in this population.

Keywords: Coping; HIV/AIDS; Sexual minority; Social support; Subjective age (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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