“…This may be interpreted in terms of social cognitive theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1998), which emphasises the importance of social interactions, as in several previous studies (McEwen, Pasvogel, Murdaugh, & Hepworth, 2017;Woda, Belknap, Haglund, Sebern, & Lawrence, 2015). Friendly companionship can evoke feelings of relaxation and happiness, provide distraction from worry and improve mood, all of which can alleviate depressive symptoms (Woda et al, 2015) and increase the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviours (McEwen et al, 2017). According to SCT, when family and friends participate in specific behaviours with an individual and provide encouragement, this can increase self-efficacy, improve goal setting, lower perceived barriers and provide a social model for performing and maintaining exercise, all of which are central constructs of SCT (Bandura, 1998).…”