A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Instrumental and Emotional Social Support on Physical Activity in Underserved Adolescents in the ACT Trial

Abstract

Background Few previous studies have examined the influence of instrumental and emotional social support on physical activity (PA) longitudinally in underserved adolescents. Purpose This longitudinal study was a secondary analysis of the Active by Choice Today (ACT) trial examining whether instrumental social support predicts increases in PA in underserved adolescents, above and beyond emotional social support provided by family or peers. Methods Students in 6th grade (N=1422, 73% African American, 54% female, Mage=11 years) in the ACT trial participated. At baseline and 19 weeks, previously validated measures of social support (family instrumental, family emotional, and peer emotional) were completed and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was assessed using 7-day accelerometry estimates. Results A mixed ANCOVA demonstrated that baseline (p=.02) and change in family instrumental support (p=.01), but not emotional support from family or peers, predicted increases in MVPA across a 19-week period. Conclusions Future interventions in underserved adolescents should enhance opportunities for instrumental support for PA.

Social Support and Peer Norms Scales for Physical Activity in Adolescents

“…Evidence has been consistent in supporting family social support 10,11 and peer social support, 12,13 as significant indicators of adolescents’ MVPA. The majority of previous studies use a separate scale to measure adolescents’ social support from a specific source, such as a mother, father, sibling, or friend.…”

“…Moreover, scales including only 3 or 4 items to assess social support for PA may be inadequate for assessing all of the various forms of social support. 11,12 Given the important impact that multiple forms of social support can have on adolescents’ predisposition to PA, a reliable and valid measure of overall social support for PA that includes items addressing both instrumental assistance (eg, provision of transportation) and emotional encouragement (eg, praise), as defined by the Health Promotion Model, 17 is needed to provide an accurate assessment of adolescents’ perceptions of the total assistance they receive for PA.…”

A systematic review of methods to measure family co‐participation in physical activity

“…Methods assessing the ‘existence’ and/or ‘frequency’ of family co‐participation in physical activity were mostly one‐ or two‐item questionnaires which were part of a more comprehensive multiple‐item scale, e.g. social influences scale , instrumental support scale , social support scale and parental social support scale . Reliability and internal consistency of these scales were often reported and deemed acceptable, but rarely split out for the item(s) specific to co‐participation.…”

Interpersonal pursuit of intrapersonal health goals: Social cognitive–motivational mechanisms by which social support promotes self‐regulatory success

“…Children and adolescents who received tangible assistance, commonly referred to as instrumental support, from close others engaged in more physical activity (Beets, Vogel, Forlaw, Pitetti, & Cardinal, 2006). Rates of physical activity among youth who were provided transportation to and from exercise facilities, for instance, were found to be higher at the time, as well as 20 months and 5 years later (Siceloff, Wilson, & Van Horn, 2013). With fewer barriers and more means and resources, individuals can be more successful as a dyad or unit than they would otherwise be alone (Fitzsimons et al, 2015).…”