Community-based social support for physical activity

There is strong evidence that community-based social support interventions for physical activity increase physical activity (CG-Physical activity, CG-TFFRS 2020, Hanson 2015, Schulz 2015, Bock 2014, Kassavou 2013) and physical fitness among adults (CG-Physical activity, Hanson 2015). Such interventions have also been shown to provide health benefits such as reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors (CG-TFFRS 2020, Hanson 2015, Schulz 2015) and depression symptoms (Hanson 2015).

Social support for physical activity increases physical activity among older adults (Smith 2023), especially when interventions include family support (Smith 2017a) and are culturally appropriate (Montayre 2020). Additionally, interventions may help reduce social isolation among older adults (AHRQ- Veazie 2019). Middle-aged women enrolled in a weight loss program are more likely to lose weight when they experience social support from friends and family (Kiernan 2012). Community-based digital health interventions can increase social support for physical activity, and increase physical activity among adults, with positive effects in both workplace and college or university settings (CG-TFFRS 2020). There is some evidence these interventions also improve dietary, weight-related, and clinical outcomes (CG-TFFRS 2020).

Community-based social support interventions can increase physical activity in young children when parents are engaged, facilitate participation, and lead by example (Moss 2022). For adolescent girls, mothers are an important source of social support for physical activity and having more than two sources of support may result in greater increases in physical activity (Robbins 2018). Overall, the effects of community-based social support interventions on physical activity and physical fitness among adolescents and children are unclear (van Sluijs 2011, Cleland 2012). Adolescents with low levels of perceived social support from family and friends appear more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors than peers with higher levels of social support (Vander Wal 2012). Interventions have the potential to support mental health outcomes among adolescents and experts recommend including mental health components in interventions (Hoare 2015). Additional evidence is needed to determine effects on adolescents and children.

Community-based social support interventions for physical activity with a duration of at least 6 months are more effective than shorter interventions. Interventions that focus on older adults are more effective than those for younger adults (Kassavou 2013). Some studies suggest that such interventions are more effective when designed for both genders (Kassavou 2013), while others suggest that tailoring interventions for women increases effectiveness (Bock 2014). Interventions led by lay people appear as effective as those led by professionals (Kassavou 2013). Interventions can be effective whether they are in-person or virtual (CG-TFFRS 2020, Howie 2021). A Montana-based study suggests interventions can be effective in rural settings (Fowler 2021).

Community-based social support interventions for physical activity are considered cost effective (Roux 2008). A cost-savings analysis of Shape Up Somerville in Somerville, Massachusetts estimated it generated $1.51 in savings for every $1 invested (Coffield 2019).

Experts suggest community-based social support for physical activity has the potential to decrease disparities in health outcomes for Black communities (Miezah 2024). Community-based social support for physical activity among racially diverse older adults may improve health outcomes (Kling 2018). Available evidence indicates that programs explicitly designed with community input and culturally relevant tailoring may increase physical activity and improve health (Foster 2019). Community-based social support for physical activity programs may be more effective among older adults from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds when offered nearby with easy transportation options and with culturally accessible and culturally meaningful activities, for example, when participants can engage in their native languages (Katigbak 2024, Montayre 2020, Kling 2018). Additionally, interventions that increase perceptions of safety may increase participation in walking groups and other community-based social support interventions in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods (Kwarteng 2018).

Experts suggest community-based social support for physical activity has the potential to decrease disparities in physical activity levels among adults in low income communities (Schulz 2015, Cleland 2012). Residents of low income communities with more physically active social networks are more likely to meet recommended physical activity guidelines than residents with less active social networks (Child 2017). Diabetes-specific social support among veterans was associated with improved physical activity and healthy eating outcomes, and improved diabetes self-management (Gray 2019).

Populations with lower incomes and Hispanic, Black, and Native American and Alaska Natives are less likely to engage in leisure time physical activity than those with higher incomes and white and Asian adults (Hawes 2019, ACSM AFI-Sallis 2019, CDC-API), likely due in part to living in neighborhoods with less access to safe places for physical activity and lack of supports for active lifestyles (CDC-Equitable access). Overall, communities whose residents are primarily people of color and have lower incomes have less access to parks and recreational facilities for physical activity than white and high income neighborhoods (ALR-Disparities 2011), though quality of parks and the built environment can vary widely at the local level (ACSM AFI-Sallis 2019).

The built environment in under-resourced communities is a significant contributor to health inequities for people of color with low incomes (Prochnow 2022, McAndrews 2022, Brookings-Semmelroth 2020). During the Industrial Revolution, parks were largely developed to allow wealthy residents access to space that was free from unsanitary conditions and the congestion of crowded cities (NRPA-Equity 2021). Discriminatory housing, lending, and exclusionary zoning policies led to concentrated poverty and entrenched residential segregation (Kaplan 2007), including segregation of parks and recreation facilities. Between 1930 and the 1970s, while the government invested in parks in wealthier, white neighborhoods, parks and facilities in minority areas were neglected (NRPA-Equity 2021). City ordinances outlawed integrated forms of recreation (NRPA-Fleming 2021). Disinvestment in and unequal distribution of recreational facilities, parks, and green space means that communities with low incomes and communities of color have fewer places to engage in outdoor activities, have less access to cooling shade, and experience poorer air quality (CAP-Rowland-Shea 2020, TPL-Chapman 2021).

Today, these formerly redlined, low income neighborhoods are more likely to be considered physical activity deserts, without access to gyms, safe green spaces, and built environments conducive to physical activity (VWH-Brown 2022). Urban areas, which are often primarily populated by individuals of color, usually have the least amount of green space available per person, limiting people’s access to free physical activity. Four of the five cities in the U.S. with the least amount of green space are majority people of color (MH-Lawrence 2020).

• Are there community-based social supports for physical activity in your community? Who can access them?
• Are there community-based social supports in neighborhoods with low incomes? Or for racially/ethnically diverse communities? Are they accessible and affordable?
• How can programs be tailored to encourage participation by different communities of color?
• What barriers exist to participation in community-based social supports for physical activity? Do some groups face more barriers than others? What can you do to eliminate or reduce the impact of those barriers?

Community-based social support interventions for physical activity are implemented throughout the country. Examples of community wide interventions include Detroit’s Walk Your Heart to Health (Detroit WYHH), Huntsville’s We Walk Huntsville (WWH-Group walks), Oregon Walks (Oregon-WG), and Community Healthy Activities Model Program For Seniors (CHAMPS). StrongPeople Strong Bodies is a community-based strength-training program for older adults that has been successfully implemented in a variety of settings, including rural areas (StrongPeople, Fowler 2021). Individuals can also set up their own walking group, buddy system, or workout partnership.

America Walks-LC - America Walks. Learning center (LC): Resources for professionals, policy makers, and advocates.

LHC-Rockeymoore 2014 - Rockeymoore M, Moscetti C, Fountain A. Rural childhood obesity prevention toolkit. Leadership for Healthy Communities (LHC), Center for Global Policy Solutions, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; 2014.

* Journal subscription may be required for access.

ACSM AFI-Sallis 2019 - Sallis J. Disparities in the quality of physical activity environments. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) American fitness index. 2019.

AHRQ- Veazie 2019* - Veazie, S., Gilbert, J., Winchell, K., Paynter, R., & Guise, J.-M. (2019). Addressing social isolation to improve the health of older adults: A rapid review (Nos. 19-EHC009-EF). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

ALR-Disparities 2011 - Active Living Research (ALR). Do all children have places to be active? Disparities in access to physical activity environments in racial and ethnic minority and lower-income communities. Princeton: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF); 2011.

Bock 2014* - Bock C, Jarczok MN, Litaker D. Community-based efforts to promote physical activity: A systematic review of interventions considering mode of delivery, study quality and population subgroups. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2014;17(3):276-282.

Brookings-Semmelroth 2020 - Semmelroth L. How Wilmington, Del. is revitalizing vacant land to rebuild community trust. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution; 2020.

CAP-Rowland-Shea 2020 - Rowland-Shea J, Doshi S, Edberg S, Fanger R. The nature gap: Confronting racial and economic disparities in the destruction and protection of nature in America. Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress (CAP); 2020.

CDC-API - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adult physical inactivity outside of work.

CDC-Equitable access - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Physical activity: Equitable and inclusive access.

CG-Physical activity - The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Physical activity.

CG-TFFRS 2020 - Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2022, February). Community-based digital health and telephone interventions to increase healthy eating and physical activity.

CHAMPS - Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS). University of California San Francisco.

Child 2017* - Child S, Kaczynski AT, Moore S. Meeting physical activity guidelines: The role of personal networks among residents of low-income communities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2017;53(3):385-391.

Cleland 2012* - Cleland CL, Tully MA, Kee F, Cupples ME. The effectiveness of physical activity interventions in socio-economically disadvantaged communities: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine. 2012;54(6):371-380.

Coffield 2019 - Coffield, E., Nihiser, A., Carlson, S., Collins, J., Cawley, J., Lee, S., & Economos, C. (2019). Shape Up Somerville’s return on investment: Multi-group exposure generates net-benefits in a child obesity intervention. Preventive Medicine Reports, 16, 100954.

Dairyland Walkers - Dairyland Walkers. Welcome to the Dairyland Walkers: Providing quality, family-oriented, non-competitive walking events in Wisconsin for fun, fitness, & friendship.

Detroit WYHH - Detroit! Walk Your Heart to Health (WYHH). Improving our health one step at a time: Become part of the walking movement in Detroit.

Foster 2019 - Foster K, Stoeckle J, Silverio A, et al. Attitudes surrounding a community-based fitness intervention at an urban FQHC. Family Medicine. 2019;51(7):598-602.

Fowler 2021 - Seguin-Fowler, R. A., Grocke, M., Graham, M. L., Tarabochia, D., Sriram, U., & Eldridge, G. D. (2021). Effects of StrongPeople Strong Bodies on functional fitness: A community-based randomized trial. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 6(4).

Gray 2019* - Gray, K. E., Hoerster, K. D., Reiber, G. E., Bastian, L. A., & Nelson, K. M. (2019). Multiple domains of social support are associated with diabetes self-management among Veterans. Chronic Illness, 15(4), 264–275.

Hanson 2015 - Hanson S, Jones A. Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;49(11):710-715.

Hawes 2019 - Hawes AM, Smith GS, McGinty E, et al. Disentangling race, poverty, and place in disparities in physical activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019;16(7):1193-1205.

Hoare 2015 - Hoare, E., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Skouteris, H., Millar, L., Nichols, M., & Allender, S. (2015). Systematic review of mental health and well-being outcomes following community-based obesity prevention interventions among adolescents. BMJ Open, 5(1), e006586.

Howie 2021 - Howie, E. K., Daniels, B. T., Human, A., Gray, M., & Baum, J. I. (2021). Effectiveness and implementation of a virtual versus in-person walking program among employees on physical activity, fitness, and cognition. Health and Technology, 11(4), 909–917.

Kaplan 2007* - Kaplan J, Valls A. Housing discrimination as a basis for Black reparations. Public Affairs Quarterly. 2007;21(3):255-273.

Kassavou 2013 - Kassavou A, Turner A, French DP. Do interventions to promote walking in groups increase physical activity? A meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2013;10(1):18.

Katigbak 2024 - Katigbak, C., Cheng, S.-F., Matz, C., & Jimison, H. (2024). Let’s Walk: A quasi-experimental multi-component intervention to improve physical activity and social engagement for older Chinese American adults. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 26(4), 651–659.

Kiernan 2012 - Kiernan M, Moore SD, Schoffman DE, et al. Social support for healthy behaviors: Scale psychometrics and prediction of weight loss among women in a behavioral program. Obesity. 2012;20(4):756–64

Kling 2018 - Kling HE, D’Agostino EM, Booth JV, et al. The effect of a park-based physical activity program on cardiovascular, strength, and mobility outcomes among a sample of racially/ethnically diverse adults aged 55 or older. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2018;15(E166).

Kwarteng 2018* - Kwarteng JL, Schulz AJ, Mentz GB, et al. Does perceived safety modify the effectiveness of a walking-group intervention designed to promote physical activity? American Journal of Health Promotion. 2018;32(2):423-431.

McAndrews 2022* - McAndrews C, Schneider RJ, Yang Y, et al. Toward a gender-inclusive Complete Streets movement. Journal of Planning Literature. 2022;38(1):3-18.

MH-Lawrence 2020 - Lawrence A. How race, class, and geography keep some people from great workouts. Men’s Health (MH). 2020.

Miezah 2024* - Miezah, D., Wright, J. A., & Hayman, L. L. (2024). Community-based physical activity programs for blood pressure management in African Americans: A scoping review. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 21(10), 1008–1018.

Montayre 2020 - Montayre, J., Neville, S., Dunn, I., Shrestha‐Ranjit, J., & Wright‐St. Clair, V. (2020). What makes community‐based physical activity programs for culturally and linguistically diverse older adults effective? A systematic review. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39(4), 331–340.

Moss 2022 - Moss, S., & Gu, X. (2022). Home- and community-based interventions for physical activity and early child development: A systematic review of effective strategies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11968.

NRPA-Equity 2021 - National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Equity in parks and recreation: A historical perspective.

NRPA-Fleming 2021 - Fleming K. Observing from a lens of equity. National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). 2021.

Oregon-WG - Oregon Walks. Walking groups (WG).

Prochnow 2022* - Prochnow T, Valdez D, Curran LS, et al. Multifaceted scoping review of Black/African American transportation and land use expert recommendations on activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations. Health Promotion Practice. 2022.

Robbins 2018* - Robbins, L. B., Ling, J., Dalimonte‐Merckling, D. M., Sharma, D. B., Bakhoya, M., & Pfeiffer, K. A. (2018). Sources and types of social support for physical activity perceived by fifth to eighth grade girls. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(2), 172–180.

Roux 2008* - Roux L, Pratt M, Tengs TO, et al. Cost effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2008;35(6):578-88.

Schulz 2015* - Schulz AJ, Israel BA, Mentz GB, et al. Effectiveness of a walking group intervention to promote physical activity and cardiovascular health in predominantly non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic urban neighborhoods: Findings from the Walk Your Heart to Health intervention. Health Education & Behavior. 2015;42(3):380-392.

Smith 2017a - Smith GL, Banting L, Eime R, O’Sullivan G, van Uffelen JGZ. The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2017;14(1):56.

Smith 2023 - Smith, G. S. E., Moyle, W., & Burton, N. W. (2023). The relationship between social support for physical activity and physical activity across nine years in adults aged 60–65 years at baseline. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), 4531.

StrongPeople - StrongPeople. Lifting people and communities to better health.

TPL-Chapman 2021 - Chapman R, Foderaro L, Hwang L, et al. Parks and an equitable recovery. San Francisco, CA: The Trust for Public Land (TPL); 2021.

UW Ext-StrongBodies - University of Wisconsin-Extension (UW Ext), Healthy Eating & Active Living. StrongBodies.

van Sluijs 2011* - van Sluijs EMF, Kriemler S, McMinn AM. The effect of community and family interventions on young people’s physical activity levels: A review of reviews and updated systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011;45(11):914-22.

Vander Wal 2012* - Vander Wal JS. The relationship between body mass index and unhealthy weight control behaviors among adolescents: The role of family and peer social support. Economics & Human Biology. 2012;10(4):395–404.

VWH-Brown 2022 - Brown S. Do you live in an ‘exercise desert’? Verywell Health (VWH). 2022.

WWH-Group walks - We Walk Huntsville (WWH), Healthy Huntsville. Join us for a group walk!