This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sense of community and subjective well-being among older adults in China, and to further explore the potential mediating role of prosocial behavior and meaning in life in this association. Using a cross-sectional design, a cohort of 283 Chinese old adults aged between 60 and 85 years (Mage = 65.26, SDage = 5.73; 62.2% females) completed measures related to sense of community, prosocial behavior, meaning in life, and subjective well-being. To examine the mediating roles of prosocial behavior and meaning in life on the link between sense of community and subjective well-being, the PROCESS macro model4 and model6 were used to conduct single and serial mediation analysis, respectively. The results fully supported the proposed serial mediation model. The serial mediation model obtained in this study sheds light on the relationships between these factors and suggests that promoting sense of community independent of considering prosocial behavior and meaning in life may be insufficient to achieve good subjective well-being in Chinese older adults. These findings contribute to the refinement of interventions targeting the subjective well-being of older adults by emphasizing the importance of considering both the physical and social environments of the community.
Highlights: Sense of community significantly and positively predicted Chinese older adults’ subjective well-being.Prosocial behavior and meaning in life mediated the association between sense of community and subjective well-being separately.Prosocial behavior and meaning in life were identified as serial mediators in the relationship between sense of community and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults.