A multidimensional scale for assessing positive and negative social influences on physical activity in older adults.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to develop a multidimensional scale for assessing social influences specific to the physical activity contexts of older adults. The proposed scale was designed to jointly assess types of both positive and negative social influences, and the sources of these influences. METHODS A series of confirmatory factor analyses was conducted to test a hypothesized multidimensional model using 479 survey responses from community-dwelling adults aged 55 and older. RESULTS Three separate analyses of family, friend, and health professional data sets demonstrated that the positive and negative social influences were independent domains, and each dimension was further divided into three subdimensions. The factor subscales revealed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. A series of regression analyses indicated that the positive influence subscales were all positively associated with a series of physical activity variables, and that the negative influence subscales were all negatively associated with these variables. Moreover, the magnitude of the positive and negative associations changed according to the sources of the influences. DISCUSSION These findings supported the importance of a joint assessment that takes into account the subdimensions of both positive and negative influences, as well as the sources of these influences, in order to understand the full range of ways in which social relationships can affect the physical activity of older adults.