Older adults' social network and support and its association with physical activity.
Elizabeth A Schlenk, Susan M Sereika, Lynn M Martire and 1 others
PMID 33039202WHAT IT FOUND
Perceived support did not show a clear link with diary exercise minutes, but older adults with knee osteoarthritis and hypertension named many potential helpers.
A nurse-led support session increased confidence in 60 of 72.
Key findings
01About half reported current support for physical activity, most often from a spouse or partner.
02Nearly all identified at least one potential helper, most often a friend.
03Perceived support did not show a significant association with greater diary minutes of lower extremity exercise, but 60 of 72 asked said the session increased confidence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The analysis used 73 participants from the intervention group only, so it does not compare the full randomized trial arms. The perceived support and no support groups were not randomized, and they differed by marital status, so selection bias is possible. The sample was small, and the authors note the small sample may have contributed to the lack of significant associations. Participants were self-selected community-dwelling older adults who were inactive at baseline and mostly white, educated, and female, limiting generalizability. Physical activity was self-recorded in an electronic diary, not measured objectively. This secondary analysis did not include the parent study's attention control group, so session ratings cannot show the session worked better than usual care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that social support causes more exercise or walking. The perceived support groups were not randomized, the diary minute association was not significant for lower extremity exercise, and the session ratings came from participants in the intervention group only.