Exploring Physical Activity Among Community Residents: Combining the Integrated Behavioral Model and Social Network Analysis.

Purpose: Combining the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) and Social Network Analysis (SNA), this study explored individual and interpersonal-level factors related to adults meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations.

Methods: 250 adults (66.8% women, 70.1% non-Hispanic white, age = 38.65 ± 12.93) recruited through local events and social media completed online surveys. Logistic regression analysis assessed factors related to meeting PA recommendations, including demographic characteristics, barriers to PA, injunctive norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and descriptive norms measured via SNA.

Results: 40.6% (n = 99) of participants met minimum PA recommendations. Higher perceived behavioral control (OR = 1.47, P < .001), intention (OR = 1.16, P = .01), having more female network members (OR = 1.02, P = .04) and more network members who were active with the participant (OR = 1.03, P < .001) were associated with increased odds of meeting PA recommendations. Network density scores (OR = .04, P < .01), decreased the odds of meeting PA recommendations.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of a person's immediate social context, more so than global social norms, on their PA behavior. In addition to increasing individual-level perceived behavioral control and intentions, efforts aimed at promoting PA should focus on leveraging aspects of social networks that translate to direct social influence on individual behavior. This study affirms SNA as a useful way to assess descriptive norms defined in the IBM.