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The role of companionship, esteem, and informational support in explaining physical activity among young women in an online social network intervention

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Abstract

The primary objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between social support and physical activity within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) theoretical framework. This study used data from the Internet Support for Healthy Associations Promoting Exercise randomized controlled trial. A total of 134 female undergraduate students participated in the study, which included baseline and post measures of perceived social support for physical activity (esteem, informational, and companionship), TPB variables related to physical activity (perceived behavioral control, intention, and attitude), and physical activity behavior. Path analysis revealed a significant indirect relationship between change in companionship support and physical activity mediated by change in intention (.13, p < .01) and a significant direct relationship between change in esteem support and change in physical activity (.26, p = .03). The model explained 27 % of the variance in physical activity and 59 % of the variance in intention. Overall, change in social support exerted a small to medium amount of influence on change in physical activity in this modified TPB model when controlling for traditional model constructs. Encouraging companionship and esteem support should be considered as a strategy for increasing physical activity in this population.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Control Education Program, Predoctoral Fellowship, UNC (5R25-CA057726) and by a grant from NIH (DK056350) to the University of North Carolina Nutrition Obesity Research Center.

Conflict of interest

No authors have a financial or other conflict to disclose. Authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow review of the data if requested.

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Author notes

  1. David N. Cavallo

    Present address: Center for Cancer Prevention and Control Research, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Charles Young Drive South, Room A2-125 CHS, Box 956900, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-6900, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    David N. Cavallo, Deborah F. Tate & Alice S. Ammerman

  2. School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Jane D. Brown

  3. Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Deborah F. Tate & Robert F. DeVellis

  4. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Catherine Zimmer

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  1. David N. Cavallo
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Correspondence to David N. Cavallo.

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Cavallo, D.N., Brown, J.D., Tate, D.F. et al. The role of companionship, esteem, and informational support in explaining physical activity among young women in an online social network intervention. J Behav Med 37, 955–966 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9534-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9534-5

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