Anderson Martin, Letina Srebrenka, McCann Mark, Milicev Jelena, Dibben Grace, MacDonald Abi, Mitchell Kirstin, Moore Laurence, Olsen Jonathan R, Palmer Victoria J, Rigby Benjamin P, Simpson Sharon A, Thomson Meigan, Long Emily
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2025 May 7;20(5):e0319981. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319981. eCollection 2025.
Physical activity is associated with a greater quantity and quality of social connections. Participating in physical activity with others (co-engagement) has dual physical and social benefits that can promote healthy ageing. We aimed to understand the social network characteristics of mid-to-older aged adults associated with co-engagement in physical activity.
Adults aged 55-75 years completed a social network survey (3679 social contacts reported by 140 participants). Multilevel modelling was used to identify the characteristics of participants, social contacts, and relationships that were predictive of co-engagement in physical activity.
Network size and relationship quality were not associated with co-engagement. Similarity in age, greater interaction frequency, closer geographic proximity, and shorter relationship length were associated with higher odds of co-engagement.
For co-engagement, the quality and quantity of relationships were less important than the convenience and accessibility of relationships, particularly newer relationships. As such, co-engagement ties can be understood as part of a dynamic social convoy which fulfil a specific function at a specific life stage. An understanding of naturally occurring tendencies for co-engagement may be utilised to identify leverage points for the development of interventions.
身体活动与更丰富的社交联系数量和质量相关。与他人一起参与身体活动（共同参与）具有促进健康老龄化的身体和社交双重益处。我们旨在了解与共同参与身体活动相关的中老年成年人的社交网络特征。
55 - 75岁的成年人完成了一项社交网络调查（140名参与者报告了3679个社交联系人）。采用多层次建模来确定参与者、社交联系人以及预测共同参与身体活动的关系的特征。
网络规模和关系质量与共同参与无关。年龄相似、互动频率更高、地理距离更近以及关系持续时间更短与共同参与的较高几率相关。
对于共同参与而言，关系的质量和数量不如关系的便利性和可达性重要，尤其是新关系。因此，共同参与关系可被理解为动态社交群体的一部分，在特定生命阶段发挥特定功能。对共同参与的自然发生趋势的理解可用于确定干预措施发展的杠杆点。
