Adolescents and young adults with asthma and allergies: Physical activity, self-efficacy, social support, and subsequent psychosocial outcomes

Objective: To examine the relationships between self-efficacy (SE) and social support (SS) for physical activity (PA), weekly moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), and depression and anxiety in young adults (YAs) with asthma and allergies. Methods: Participants were 611 YAs (age M=19.56 +/- 3.28). YAs completed measures of SE for PA, SS for PA, depression, anxiety, and weekly MVPA. Results: The hypothesized model demonstrated close fit to the data and was not adversely affected by pruning non-significant paths, (2) (457, n=611)=1085.31, p<0.01, RMSEA=0.05, CFI=0.95, NNFI=0.95. The final model supported the hypothesized relationships between MVPA and exercise-related SE, as well as SS for exercise from friends. Interestingly, MVPA was negatively associated with SS from parents. SE for exercise significantly predicted SS from family and friends. SS from friends was a significant mediator of the relationship between SE and MVPA. The relationship between MVPA and anxiety and depression was unsubstantiated. Conclusions: In this population, exercise-related SE and SS from friends were associated with higher rates of MVPA. Techniques aimed at boosting exercise confidence and involving friends in exercise routines may increase MVPA in YAs with asthma and allergies.