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Social support and regular physical activity: does planning mediate this link?
1Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, UK. g.j.molloy@stir.ac.uk
British Journal of Health Psychology
|February 25, 2010
Summary
Social support for physical activity is crucial, especially for women, as it influences planning and perceived control. This highlights the importance of social interactions in maintaining regular physical activity.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Social support is linked to physical activity, but the underlying social cognitive mechanisms, particularly post-intentional factors, are not fully understood.
- Understanding these processes is key to promoting sustained physical activity behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how planning processes mediate the relationship between social support and physical activity.
- To examine the role of post-intentional social cognitive factors in physical activity maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study with 903 university students.
- Measures included theory of planned behavior, planning, and physical activity at two time points (7 weeks apart).
- Gender-stratified multiple mediation analysis was employed.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction between social support and gender was found: lower support predicted lower physical activity in women.
- Social support indirectly influenced physical activity through perceived behavioral control and coping planning, particularly for women.
- Planning processes partially explained the link between social support and physical activity.
Conclusions:
- Interpersonal processes, specifically planning, are vital post-intentional social cognitive determinants of regular physical activity.
- Social environments significantly influence the planning of physical activity.
- Future interventions should consider the socially interactive nature of planning for physical activity.
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