title: Synergistic effect of social support and self-efficacy on physical exercise in older adults.
abstract: The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the effects of social support on physical exercise in older adults depend on individual perceptions of self-efficacy. Three hundred nine older German adults (age 65-85) were assessed at 3 points in time (3 months apart). In hierarchical-regression analyses, support received from friends and exercise self-efficacy were specified as predictors of exercise frequency while baseline exercise, sex, age, and physical functioning were controlled for. Besides main effects of self-efficacy and social support, an interaction between social support and self-efficacy emerged. People with low self-efficacy were less likely to be active in spite of having social support. People with low support were less likely to be active even if they were high in self-efficacy. This points to the importance of both social support and self-efficacy and implies that these resources could be targets of interventions to increase older adults' exercise.
authors: Dept. of Educational Science and Psychology, Freie University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Warner
authors: Jochen P
authors: JP
authors: Ziegelmann
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Schüz
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Wurm
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Schwarzer
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011593:Psychology, Social; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support