Neighborhood satisfaction, functional limitations, and self-efficacy influences on physical activity in older women.

Katherine S Morris,Edward Mcauley,Robert W Motl

doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-13

Abstract

BackgroundPerceptions of one's environment and functional status have been linked to physical activity in older adults. However, little is known about these associations over time, and even less about the possible mediators of this relationship. We examined the roles played by neighborhood satisfaction, functional limitations, self-efficacy, and physical activity in a sample of older women over a 6-month period.MethodsParticipants (N = 137, M age = 69.6 years) completed measures of neighborhood satisfaction, functional limitations, self-efficacy, and physical activity at baseline and again 6 months later.ResultsAnalyses indicated that changes in neighborhood satisfaction and functional limitations had direct effects on residual changes in self-efficacy, and changes in self-efficacy were associated with changes in physical activity at 6 months.ConclusionOur findings support a social cognitive model of physical activity in which neighborhood satisfaction and functional status effects on physical activity are in part mediated by intermediate individual outcomes such as self-efficacy. Additionally, these findings lend support to the position that individual perceptions of both the environment and functional status can have prospective effects on self-efficacy cognitions and ultimately, physical activity behavior.

Highlights

Perceptions of one's environment and functional status have been linked to physical activity in older adults
The hypothesized panel model provided a good fit to the data, χ2(14) = 17.56, p = .23, comparative fit index (CFI) = .98, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =
With the baseline assessment, standardized parameter estimates indicated that functional limitations had a direct effect on self-efficacy (γ = -.50)

Summary

Introduction

Perceptions of one's environment and functional status have been linked to physical activity in older adults. Older adults represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S population, creating an increased prevalence of individuals at risk for, and living with, chronic disease and functional disability Understanding those factors that promote physical, emotional, and psychological health among older adults is of importance. In spite of recent efforts to increase physical activity among older adults, relatively few older adults engage in leisure-time physical activity of sufficient frequency, duration, and/or intensity to elicit health benefits [3]. This trend toward sedentary behavior is even more marked among older adults with functional limitations [3].

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