Leisure Satisfaction Mediates the Relationships between Leisure Settings,Subjective Well-Being,and Depression among Middle-Aged Adults in Urban China

This study examined the role played by leisure satisfaction in the relationship between leisure settings (built and natural), subjective well-being, and depression among midlife residents of urban China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze this conceptual model, exploring data taken from a representative sample of 663 Chinese urban middle-aged citizens included in the 2014 Chinese Leisure Study. Additionally, leisure satisfaction was tested as a mediator between leisure in nature and subjective well-being. The results indicate that leisure satisfaction mediates the relationship between specific leisure settings (i.e., leisure in nature and outdoor recreation), subjective well-being, and depression. The results therefore contribute to the literature by providing evidence of the relationship between leisure settings, subjective well-being, and depression through identification of the positive effects of leisure on nature. Future health interventions should therefore highlight the advantages of urban green spaces.