Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Br J Health Psychol. 2020 Sep;25(3):576-595. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12424. Epub 2020 May 5.
Objectives The link between social support and physical activity has primarily been examined cross-sectionally, with a focus on the direct association between the two variables. In a distinct body of work, there has been growing interest in the role of social support in reducing pain (emotional and physical). We examined the relationship between social support and physical activity over time. We further examined whether reduced pain mediates the relationship between social support and physical activity. Design Data were drawn from Waves 15, 16, and 17 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Methods Mediation models were used to test our hypotheses in (a) a representative sample of 12,517 people residing in Australia, and (b) a subsample of 927 people with a condition that causes chronic or recurring pain. Results Social support was a weak predictor of subsequent physical activity in both the full sample and the subsample of people with a condition that causes chronic or recurring pain. However, in both samples, mediation analyses demonstrated a significant indirect effect of social support on physical activity through reduced pain. Conclusions One pathway through which social support impacts physical activity is by reducing peoples' pain. Increasing and strengthening peoples' social support networks may confer benefits for their physical activity levels, including among those whose physical activity is limited by pain. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Social support can have a positive effect on health behaviours, including physical activity. There is somewhat inconsistent evidence for a positive direct relationship between social support and physical activity. Pain can be a barrier to physical activity, but may be attenuated by social support. What does this study add? Social support affected physical activity indirectly by reducing peoples' pain. This was true for both the general population and a subsample with a chronic pain condition. Improving peoples' social support networks may confer benefits for their physical activity.
目的 社会支持与身体活动之间的联系主要是通过横断面研究来检验的，重点是这两个变量之间的直接关联。在一个不同的研究领域，人们越来越关注社会支持在减轻疼痛（情感和身体）方面的作用。我们考察了社会支持与身体活动随时间的关系。我们进一步检验了疼痛减轻是否在社会支持与身体活动之间的关系中起中介作用。
设计 数据来自澳大利亚家庭收入和劳动力动态调查的第 15、16 和 17 波。
方法 采用中介模型检验我们的假设：（a）在一个代表澳大利亚居住的 12517 人的样本中，以及（b）一个患有导致慢性或复发性疼痛的疾病的 927 人的样本中。
结果 在全样本和患有慢性或复发性疼痛疾病的亚样本中，社会支持是随后身体活动的一个弱预测因素。然而，在两个样本中，中介分析都表明，社会支持通过减轻疼痛对身体活动有显著的间接影响。
结论 社会支持影响身体活动的一个途径是通过减轻人们的疼痛。增加和加强人们的社会支持网络可能会对他们的身体活动水平产生有益的影响，包括那些因疼痛而限制身体活动的人。
