Hope, spirituality, health perception and life satisfaction among older adults using thermal tourism services in Turkey

Abstract

Although it is widely recognized that hope and spirituality have a positive impact on aging, there is a significant lack of research investigating the mediating role of health perceptions in converting these resources into life satisfaction, especially in the specific context of thermal tourism. To address this gap, a cross-sectional mediation analysis was conducted to examine this association among 400 older adults (65 years and older) who visited thermal facilities in five Turkish provinces between October 2024 and February 2025. Participants were selected using convenience sampling, and data were collected using the Dispositional Hope Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Health Perception Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale. Results showed that participants exhibited high levels of hope (M = 50.0, SD = 7.07), spiritual well-being (M = 31.7, SD = 4.71), and health perceptions (M = 49.4, SD = 5.90), while showing moderate levels of life satisfaction (M = 16.3, SD = 4.76). Path analysis revealed that hope (β = 0.295, p < 0.001) and spiritual well-being (β = 0.245, p < 0.001) significantly predicted life satisfaction. Furthermore, health perception partially mediated the relationship between hope and life satisfaction (β = 0.115, p < 0.001) and between spiritual well-being and life satisfaction (β = 0.042, p < 0.05). These results suggest that integrating psychosocial support into thermal tourism services can improve perceptions of health, overall well-being, and promote healthy aging.