外出活動參與對於提升高齡者健康來說，是個重要議題。根據調查發現，不常外出的高齡者，比較容易有慢性病及自覺健康比較差。然而，近來部份研究發現外出活動中的社會互動，也是影響高齡者健康的重要因素之一。此外，各類的活動，因為活動型態的屬性，所能提供的社會互動應該也有所不同，故社會互動在不同種類的活動裡，所能提供的健康效益應該也會有所不同。因此，本研究將比較社會互動在不同外出活動中的健康效益是否有所差異。
本研究共招募台南市13個都市社區，65歲以上的高齡者為對象，以問卷調查及進行體適能評估的方式進行。問卷調查包含外出進行休閒性身體活動(Leisure-time physical activity, LTPA)和生活性的機能活動(instrumental activity of daily life, IADL)的頻率、自覺健康量表(SF12)及社會互動。社會互動問卷是參考相關問卷發展出相關題項，進行專家效度及信效度分析，篩選題項後使用。統計分析使用結構方程模式(Structural equation modeling)檢視變項間的相關性，另採用Sobel test及Bootstrapping方式檢驗中介效果。
結果顯示，社會互動存在各類外出活動與健康之間，表示社會互動與高齡者健康具相關性。中介效果分析中，高齡者外出進行身體性的休閒活動，除了直接與促進健康相關之外，也會透過提升社會互動的方式，提升健康狀態。而在高齡者外出進行生活性的機能活動中發現，外出進行生活機能性的活動，不會直接提升健康狀態，而是必須透過提升社會互動的方式來促進健康。因此本研究發現，社會互動存在於各類外出活動之間。此外，社會互動也會與促進高齡者健康有關，但這類的健康效益會因活動種類而有差異。所以本研究認為，外出活動對高齡者的重要性，除了可達到活動本身的目的外，也可透過各類的活動進行促進社會互動的參與，進而帶來對健康的效益。

Participation in outdoor activity is an important issue in promoting the health of the elderly. Homebound older adults tend to have more chronic diseases and poor subjective health status than do non-homebound adults. Elderly people engaged in outdoor activities more than once a week would prevent physical disability. Recently several studies found that social interaction may help to increase participation in outdoor activities and maintain health in older adults. Few studies have discussed the relationship between health and social interaction in various purposes of participation. The objective of the present study was to explore the effect of social interaction on the relationship between participation in different outdoor activities and health.
Cross-sectional data were drawn from elderly residents of 13 neighborhoods in southern Taiwan. They were asked to take functional fitness tests and complete a self-reported questionnaires onsite which were social interaction, frequency of outdoor activities and self-reported health. Data on health assessments were obtained by objective (senior functional fitness test) and subjective measures (SF12 survey). Structural equation model was introduced to examine the association between outdoor activities, social interaction, and health. By using the Sobel test and bootstrapping procedure to test the mediation effect of social interaction.
According to our research, social interaction was found to be associated with health status in different outdoor activities. Social interactions partially mediate the association between leisure-time physical activity and health, whereas social interaction acts as a full mediator between instrumental activities of daily living and health. Social interactions exhibiting a meditational effect depended on the purposes of participation in outdoor activities.
Social interaction is therefore a critical factor that encourages older adults to participate in outdoor activities to promote health. Although frequent outdoor activity has been considered as a facilitator in promoting health, social interaction appears to mediate the correlation between participation in outdoor activities and health in the elderly.

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