title: Social cognitive determinants of physical activity in young adults: a prospective structural equation analysis.
abstract: This study used a prospective design to test a model of the relation between social cognitive variables and physical activity in a sample of 277 university students. Social support, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulation were measured at baseline and used to predict physical activity 8 weeks later. Results of structural equation modeling indicated a good fit of the social cognitive model to the data. Within the model, self-efficacy had the greatest total effect on physical activity, mediated largely by self-regulation, which directly predicted physical activity. Social support indirectly predicted physical activity through its effect on self-efficacy. Outcome expectations had a small total effect on physical activity, which did not reach significance. The social cognitive model explained 55% of the variance observed in physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Health Behavior, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blackburg 24061, USA. lrovniak@vt.edu
authors.forename: Liza S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rovniak
authors.forename: Eileen S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Winett
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Stephens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support