BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the associations among family, friend, and coworker social support for physical activity. It is important to know the sources of social support that facilitate and promote physical activity among fulltime working adults.
OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the associations among family, friend, and coworker social support for physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among participants in a worksite study.
METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 144 participants from four worksites in a large, southwestern city in the United States. The intervention for the worksite study was Booster Breaks (a physical activity routine of 15 minutes) practiced daily to break-up prolonged sitting time. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions were conducted using SPSS version 20.
RESULTS: Age was inversely associated (p = 0.001), and social support from friends (p = 0.04) and coworkers (p = 0.003) were positively associated with physical activity in the unadjusted model. After controlling for all the covariates (age, sex, marital status, BMI, education, and income) in the model, only coworker social support was positively (p = 0.027) associated with physical activity among participants in the workplace study.
CONCLUSIONS: Coworker social support is an important correlate of physical activity and should be incorporated in workplace health promotion programs.
KingKA, TergersonJL, WilsonBR. Effect of social support on adolescents’ perceptions of and engagement in physical activity. J Phys Act Health2008;5:374–84.
2.
AndersonES, WojcikJR, WinettRA, WilliamsDM. Social-cognitive determinants of physical activity: The influence of social support, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulation among participants in a church-based health promotion study. Health Psychol2006;25(4):510–20.
3.
CohenS, MermelsteinR, KamarckT, HobermanH. Measuring the functional components of social support. In: SarasonIG, SarasonBR, editors. Social support: Theory, research and application. The Hague, Holland: Martinus Nijhoff; 1985: pp. 73–94.
4.
DuncanSC, DuncanTE, StryckerLA. Sources and types of social support in youth physical activity. Health Psychol2005;24(1):3–10.
5.
KhanCM, StephensMAP, FranksMM, RookKS, SalemJK. Influences of spousal support and control on diabetes management through physical activity. Health Psychol2013;32(7):739–47.
6.
SheltonRC, McNeillLH, PuleoE, WolinKY, EmmonsKM, BennettGG. The association between social factors and physical activity among low income adults living in public housing. Am J Public Health2011;101(11):2102–10.
7.
Wendel-VosW, DroomersM, KremersS, BrugJ, Van LentheF. Potential environmental determinants of physical activity in adults: A systematic review. Obes Rev2007;8:425–40.
8.
BankoskiA, HarrisTB, McClainJJ, BrychtaRJ, CaserottiP, ChenKY, et al. Sedentary activity associated with metabolic syndrome independent of physical activity. Diabetes Care2011;34(2):497–503.
9.
HealyGN, MatthewsCE, DunstanDW, WinklerE A, OwenN. Sedentary time and cardio-metabolic biomarkers in US adults: NHANES 2003–06. Eur Heart J2011;32(5):590–7.
10.
OwenN, SparlingPB, HealyGN, DunstanDW, MatthewsCE. Sedentary behavior: Emerging evidence for a new health risk. Mayo Clin Proc2010;85(12):1138–41.
11.
KatzmarzykPT, ChurchTS, CraigCL, BouchardC. Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Med Sci Sports Exerc2009;41(5):998–1005.
12.
CooperAR, SebireS, MontgomeryAA, PetersTJ, SharpDJ, JacksonN, et al. Sedentary time, breaks in sedentary time and metabolic variables in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia2012;55(3):589–99.
13.
DunstanDW, KingwellBA, LarsenR, HealyGN, CerinE, HamiltonMT, et al. Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes Care2012;35(5):976–83.
14.
HealyGN, DunstanDW, SalmonJ, CerinE, ShawJE, ZimmetPZ, et al. Breaks in sedentary time beneficial associations with metabolic risk. Diabetes Care2008;31(4):661–6.
15.
CarlsonJA, SallisJF, ConwayTL, SaelensBE, FrankLD, KerrJ, et al. Interactions between psychosocial and built environment factors in explaining older adults’ physical activity. Prev Med2012;54(1):68–73.
16.
TamersSL, BeresfordSAA, CheadleAD, ZhengY, BishopSK, ThompsonB. The association between worksite social support, diet, physical activity and body mass index. Prev Med2011;53(1-2):53–6.
17.
KelseyKS, CampbellMK, TessaroI, BenedictS, BeltonL, FernandezLM, et al. Social support and health behaviors among blue-collar women workers. Am J Health Behav2000;24(6):434–43.
18.
TaylorWC. Transforming work breaks to promote health. Am J Prev Med2005;29(5):461–5.
19.
TaylorWC. Booster Breaks: An easy-to-implement workplace policy designed to improve employee health, increase productivity, and lower health care costs. J Workplace Behav Health2011;26(1):70–84.
20.
TaylorWC, ShegogR, ChenV, RempelDM, Pappas-BaunMB, BushCL, et al. The Booster Break Program: Description and feasibility test of a worksite physical activity daily practice. Work2010;37:433–43.
21.
HagstromerM, OjaP, SjostromM. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): A study of concurrent and construct validity. Public Health Nutr2005;9(6):755–62.
22.
FogelholmM, MalmbergJ, SuniJ, SanttilaM, KyrolainenH, MantysaariM, et al. International physical activity questionnaire: Validity against fitness. Med Sci Sports Exerc2006;38(4):753–60.
23.
LeePH, MacfarlaneDJ, LamTH, StewartSM. Validity of the international physical activity questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF): A systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act2011;8:115Available from: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/doi./10.1186/1479-5868-8-115
24.
CraigCL, MarshallAL, SjostromM, BaumanAE, BoothML, AinsworthBE, et al. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc2003;195:3508–1381.
25.
PereiraMA, FitzerGeraldSJ, GreggEW, JoswiakML, RyanWJ, SuminskiRR, et al., eds. A collection of Physical Activity Questionnaires for health-related research [special issue]. Med Sci Sports and Exerc1997;29:S1–205.
26.
SallisJF, GrossmanRM, PinskiRB, PattersonTL, NaderPR. The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors. Prev Med1987;16:825–36.
27.
SallisJF, BuonoMJ, RobyJJ, MicaleFG, NelsonJA. Seven-day recall and other physical activity self-reports in children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc1993;25(1):99–108.
28.
LauzonN, ChanCB, MyersAM, Tudor-LockeC. Participant exercises in a workplace pedometer based physical activity program. J Phys Act Health2008;5(5):675–87.
29.
EdmundsS, ClowA. The role of peer physical activity champions in the workplace: A qualitative study. Perspect Public Health2015; Sept 16 pii 1757913915600741. [Epub ahead of print].
30.
RzewnickiR, AuweeleYV, BourdeaudhuijID. Addressing overreporting on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) telephone survey with a population sample. Public Health Nutr2003;6(03):299–305.
31.
PerezAD, HirschmanC. The changing racial and ethnic composition of the US population: Emerging American identities. Popul Dev Rev2009;35:1–51.
32.
AlbaR, Yrizar BarbosaG. Room at the top? Minority mobility and the transition to demographic diversity in the USA. Ethn Racial Stud2015;1–22.
33.
KingAC. Interventions to promote physical activity by older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci2001;56(2):36–46.
34.
EdmundsS, StephensonD, ClowA. The effects of a physical activity intervention on employees in small and medium enterprises: A mixed methods study. Work2013;46:39–49.
