Social Support for Exercise by Experts in Older Women Post–Hip Fracture

ABSTRACT

Using the data of the Baltimore Hip Study 5 (a home-based exercise intervention), this study examined how social support for exercise by experts (SSE-E) affected the self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and exercise behavior among older women following a hip fracture. The total sample included 164 females aged 65 years (M = 81.0; SD = 6.9) who had surgical repair of a nonpathologic hip fracture. Model testing showed a direct relationship between SSE-E and outcome expectations for exercise. There was, however, no direct or indirect relationship between SSE-E and self-efficacy or exercise behavior. The positive effect of SSE-E on the outcome expectations for exercise in older women recovering from a hip fracture provides an opportunity for health care providers in improving physical activity in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• hip fracture
• older women
• exercise
• social support
• self-efficacy

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Support for this project was provided by National Institute on Aging (NIA) grants R37 AG09901, R01-AG18668, R01 AG17082, and partially supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center P30 AG028747. Authors also would like to thank Thera-Band Academy for their generous contribution of Thera-Band® resistive bands used by study participants, hospitals and personnel participating in the Baltimore Hip Studies, and research staff who worked with study patients and their families. The authors also would like to thank hip-fracture patients and their families for volunteering their time and information for this work.