Social Influences on Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Review

1998 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Chogahara ◽  
Sandra O’Brien Cousins ◽  
Leonard M. Wankel

The interpersonal relationships of older adults have long been recognized as important determinants for their physical activity involvement. To date, researchers in this field have tended to focus on positive social influences, such as social support. Furthermore, in most studies, operational definitions of social support have stressed the source of the support (e.g., family support and friend support) rather than the nature of the support provided by these groups and individuals. In order to clarify the social context of physical activity among older adults, more attention should be paid to exploring both positive and negative social influences on physical activity. The objectives of this paper were to consolidate current findings concerning social influences and physical activity among aging adults, and to identify major positive and negative social influences from the literature that are associated with physical activity and health-promoting behaviors among aging adults. The development of a more comprehensive and representative method of measuring social influences in physical activity settings is advocated.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 108-108
Author(s):  
Weidi Qin

Abstract The growing disease burden of diabetes in older adults highlights the importance of health-promoting behaviors in this population. A new diagnosis of diabetes can be a teachable moment that motivates older adults to engage in health behavior changes. Guided by the convoy model of social relations, social support from family and friends may influence health behaviors, and moderate the effects of a diabetes diagnosis on health behaviors. The current study investigates health behavior changes in drinking, smoking, and physical activity before and after a diabetes diagnosis, and whether social support moderates the relationships. A sample of 13,143 older adults without diabetes at baseline were selected from the Health and Retirement Study, and followed up for six waves. Social support from family and friends were measured separately. Mixed-effects regression models were performed. Sampling weights were adjusted to generate population estimates. After a diabetes diagnosis, older adults reduced alcohol consumption and were more likely to quit smoking. More social support from family was associated with decreased alcohol consumption, and more social support from friends was associated with increased physical activity. Significant interaction between social support from family and diabetes diagnosis was found. Specifically, among older adults with a diabetes diagnosis, more social support from family was associated with less drinking and smoking cessation. The study findings suggest that health practitioners can consider the timing of diabetes diagnosis to facilitate health behavior changes. Furthermore, diabetes educators can help older adults mobilize support from family and friends to better engage in health-promoting behaviors.


JMIR Aging ◽  
10.2196/12496 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e12496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakkoyya H Lewis ◽  
Maria C Swartz ◽  
Eloisa Martinez ◽  
Elizabeth J Lyons

Background Physical activity (PA) is critical for maintaining independence and delaying mobility disability in aging adults. However, 27 to 44% of older adults in the United States are meeting the recommended PA level. Activity trackers are proving to be a promising tool to promote PA adherence through activity tracking and enhanced social interaction features. Although social support has been known to be an influential behavior change technique to promote PA, how middle-aged and older adults use the social interaction feature of mobile apps to provide virtual support to promote PA engagement remains mostly underexplored. Objective This study aimed to describe the social support patterns of middle-aged and older adults using a mobile app as part of a behavioral PA intervention. Methods Data from 35 participants (mean age 61.66 [SD 6] years) in a 12-week, home-based activity intervention were used for this secondary mixed method analysis. Participants were provided with a Jawbone Up24 activity monitor and an Apple iPad Mini installed with the UP app to facilitate self-monitoring and social interaction. All participants were given an anonymous account and encouraged to interact with other participants using the app. Social support features included comments and likes. Thematic coding was used to identify the type of social support provided within the UP app and characterize the levels of engagement from users. Participants were categorized as superusers or contributors, and passive participants were categorized as lurkers based on the literature. Results Over the 12-week intervention, participants provided a total of 3153 likes and 1759 comments. Most participants (n=25) were contributors, with 4 categorized as superusers and 6 categorized as lurkers. Comments were coded as emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, self-talk, and other, with emotional support being the most prevalent type. Conclusions Our cohort of middle-aged and older adults was willing to use the social network feature in an activity app to communicate with anonymous peers. Most of our participants were contributors. In addition, the social support provided through the activity app followed social support constructs. In sum, PA apps are a promising tool for delivering virtual social support to enhance PA engagement and have the potential to make a widespread impact on PA promotion. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01869348; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01869348


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakkoyya H Lewis ◽  
Maria C Swartz ◽  
Eloisa Martinez ◽  
Elizabeth J Lyons

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is critical for maintaining independence and delaying mobility disability in aging adults. However, 27 to 44% of older adults in the United States are meeting the recommended PA level. Activity trackers are proving to be a promising tool to promote PA adherence through activity tracking and enhanced social interaction features. Although social support has been known to be an influential behavior change technique to promote PA, how middle-aged and older adults use the social interaction feature of mobile apps to provide virtual support to promote PA engagement remains mostly underexplored. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe the social support patterns of middle-aged and older adults using a mobile app as part of a behavioral PA intervention. METHODS Data from 35 participants (mean age 61.66 [SD 6] years) in a 12-week, home-based activity intervention were used for this secondary mixed method analysis. Participants were provided with a Jawbone Up24 activity monitor and an Apple iPad Mini installed with the UP app to facilitate self-monitoring and social interaction. All participants were given an anonymous account and encouraged to interact with other participants using the app. Social support features included comments and likes. Thematic coding was used to identify the type of social support provided within the UP app and characterize the levels of engagement from users. Participants were categorized as superusers or contributors, and passive participants were categorized as lurkers based on the literature. RESULTS Over the 12-week intervention, participants provided a total of 3153 likes and 1759 comments. Most participants (n=25) were contributors, with 4 categorized as superusers and 6 categorized as lurkers. Comments were coded as emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, self-talk, and other, with emotional support being the most prevalent type. CONCLUSIONS Our cohort of middle-aged and older adults was willing to use the social network feature in an activity app to communicate with anonymous peers. Most of our participants were contributors. In addition, the social support provided through the activity app followed social support constructs. In sum, PA apps are a promising tool for delivering virtual social support to enhance PA engagement and have the potential to make a widespread impact on PA promotion. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01869348; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01869348


Author(s):  
Farah Khani ◽  
Shahzad Pashaeypoor ◽  
Nasrin Nikpeyma

Background & Aim: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence is increasing, and this disease has become a crisis for the modern world. Today, the survival of patients has been increased, such that HIV is considered a chronic disease. So, Paying attention to health-promoting intervention is necessary. Thus, the current study aims to determine the effect of educating lifestyle based on the Pender model on health-promoting behaviors in HIV patients. Methods & Materials: In this randomized clinical trial study, 70 HIV patients who had inclusion criteria were selected and then divided into intervention and control groups randomly. The intervention group received 6 one-hour education sessions weekly based on Pender lifestyle (nutrition, physical activity, stress management, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, and health responsibility). A demographic questionnaire and HPLP2 were used, which were completed by both groups before the intervention and 8 weeks after the intervention. Chi-Square, Fisher, Independent t, and ANCOVA statistical tests and SPSS 16 software were used to analyze data. Results: results showed that there was no significant difference in various dimensions of health-promoting lifestyle between two groups before intervention. However, intervention group scores for nutrition (28.08±6.23 vs. 23.58±6.04), physical activity (22.26±6.46 vs. 16.39±6.09), stress management (25.03±5.14 vs. 19.96±6.41), spiritual growth (29.49±6.11 vs. 25.45±8.54), interpersonal relationships (29.17±6.14 vs. 23.11±7.45) and health responsibility (28.36±6.06 vs. 23.89±5.74) were significantly higher than control group 8 weeks after intervention. Moreover, the total score of health-promoting behaviors had a significant difference in the intervention group compared to the control group (166.7±28.43 vs. 134.5±35.68, p<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be said that educating lifestyle based on the Pender model causes HIV patients to use health-promoting behaviors, which are recommended as a useful theory-based program for managers and providers of health services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akram Shahrokhi ◽  
Leila Khami ◽  
SeyedehAmeneh Motalebi ◽  
Fatemeh Mohammadi ◽  
Maryam Momeni

2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110456
Author(s):  
Ivana Matteucci

The aim of this paper was to photograph this precise moment in history, focusing on the situation of older adults during the COVID-19 health emergency in Northern Italy. In particular, we analysed the relationship between social networks and social support, sport and recreational activity, and the use of communications technologies in December 2020. We investigated and discussed such use of technologies, wondering if and how it helped to compensate for the diminishment in social health, usually gained trough social interactions and the practice of sport and physical activity. We examined how reduction of mobility, social distancing and isolation measures imposed by the government to reduce the spread of COVID-19, affected the living conditions of the older adults, in particular their social health, and the level of sport and physical activity they were engaged in. We collected data through interviews with the subjects, assessing their social networks, the perceived social support provided by their family members, friends and caregivers, and the level of sport and physical activity they were engaged in. Moreover, we analysed the impact of technological communications devices, which were employed to help older adults to maintain their relationships with the outside world and to preserve their active life. The interview questions were formulated based on the Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised (LSNS-R), the short version of the Social Support List (SSL12-I) for the elderly and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). A relationship was found between the social health related to physical activity of the older adults subjects during the COVID-19 emergency and the use of communications technologies, which played a role in mitigating the impact of the crisis on their social health by helping them to keep physically and socially active.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu-Ting Wu ◽  
I-Ju Chen ◽  
Shu-Ling Cho ◽  
Ai-Fu Chiou

Background: Poor health-promoting behaviors increase the risk of chronic disease and disability in older adults. Nevertheless, the predictors of health-promoting behaviors and their relationship with metabolic syndrome have been poorly characterized in older Taiwanese adults. Objective: To explore the determinants of health-promoting behaviors in community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan and the relationship of health-promoting behaviors with metabolic syndrome. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 200 community residents aged 60 years and over was recruited from two large communities in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Data collection included physical examination and a structured questionnaire including measures of health status, health-promoting behaviors, self-efficacy, social support, and metabolic syndrome. Results: Metabolic syndrome was found in 60% of older Taiwanese adults. These participants had higher scores in interpersonal relationships but lower scores in physical activity. Half of the health-promoting behaviors were explained by behavior-specific cognitions and affect, and 44% of behavior-specific cognitions and affect was explained by the health status of the older adult. Conclusions: Physical activity should be promoted in older Taiwanese adults. Positive behavior-specific cognitions and affect and better health status might impact the health-promoting behaviors of these adults.


Author(s):  
Jamileh Farokhzadian ◽  
Golnaz Forughameri ◽  
Maryam Mohseny

AbstractBackgroundHealth promoting behaviors are appropriate indicators to determine individuals’ health status. The staff of a health care system plays an important role in enhancing health promoting behaviors in society; therefore, the present study is aimed to evaluate health promoting behaviors of the staff in a university of medical sciences.MethodsA descriptive study was conducted on 140 staff of the Kerman University of Medical Sciences in the southeast of Iran. Data were collected using the Persian version of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile-II questionnaire with six dimensions of spiritual growth, health responsibility, interpersonal relationships, stress management, exercise and physical activity and nutrition habits. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 18), descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsThe mean of health promoting behaviors of the staff was at the moderate level (2.22 ± 0.10). The highest and lowest means were related to the dimensions of nutrition habits (2.75 ± 0.29) and exercise and physical activity (1.70 ± 0.24), respectively. There was a significant difference in the scores of health promotion behaviors based on age, so that the health promoting behaviors in the age group younger than 40 years old were higher than that in other age groups (p = 0.04).ConclusionSome health promoting behaviors such as exercise and physical activity have not been appropriately merged into daily life. It is recommended to provide educational programs for all aspects of health promoting behaviors of the staff’s health in order to promote productivity.


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