Social Contact with Family and Non-Family Members Differentially Affects Physical Activity: A Parallel Latent Growth...

Social contact leads to an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity (PA). However, the influence of social contact on PA would be different depending on the social contact source. This study aimed to identify the association of changes in social contact with family and non-family members with the change in PA using a parallel latent growth curve modeling.

Participants were randomly selected from among residents in the study area age ≥ 20 years (n = 7000). We conducted mail surveys in 2014, 2016, and 2019. The 1365 participants completed all surveys. PA was assessed with validated single-item physical activity measure. Social contact was assessed by summing frequencies of face-to-face and non-face-to-face contacts with family/relatives not living with the participant and friends/neighbors. Parallel latent growth curve modeling was used to assess the cross-sectional, prospective, and parallel associations of social contact with PA change.

There was a positive cross-sectional association between contact with friends/neighbors and PA, whereas prospective and parallel associations between contact with family/relatives and PA.

Contacting friends/neighbors did not predict the change in PA, and a high frequency of contact with family/relatives at baseline and increasing contact with family/relatives was associated with increased PA over 5-year.