Church Implementation of a Social Support Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Older African American Adults

A 21-item self-reported survey that assesses the subscales of task cohesion (6 items, scores can range from 6 to 30), social cohesion (6 items, scores can range from 6 to 30), perception of group integration around task factors (5 items, scores can range from 5 to 25), and perception of group integration around social factors (4 items, scores can range from 4 to 20). For all subscales, higher scores indicate a greater sense of group cohesion or group integration.

A 13-item self-report measure of how participants view the behaviors of their walking leaders. Possible scores can range from 13 to 65, with higher scores indicating more positive leader behaviors.

An 8-item self-report measure that assesses the degree to which the participant feels a sense of accountability to their walking group. Scores can range from 8 to 56, with higher scores indicating a greater sense of accountability to the walking group.

A 5-item self-reported measure that assesses the participants' ratings of quality of life in 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression. For each item, the participant chooses a statement (from a list of 5) that best describes them. Scores for each area range from 1 to 5 (1=no impairment; 5 = extreme impairment). Scores will be presented as the percentage of participants in each level for each dimension. A total score will also be computed. Possible scores on the scale range from 11111 (best possible score - no impairment on any of the 5 dimension) to 55555 (worse possible score - extreme impairments on all 5 dimensions). The score will be converted into a single index value based on country-specific norms.

A 7-item modified self-report scale in whcih participants report confidence in their ability to overcome barriers to walking 3 times per week for 50 minutes each time. Each item is rated from 0 (not confident) to 10 (very confident). Items are summed and divided by 7 so that the total score can range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy to overcome barriers to walking.

A 3-item measure that assesses 3 dimension of loneliness: relational connectedness, social connectedness, and perceived isolation. For each item, participants rate how often they experience each dimension ranging from 1 (hardly ever), to 2 (some of the time), to 3 (often). Total scores can range from 3 to 9, with higher scores indicating greater loneliness. Participants who score 3-5 are typically considered "not lonely" whereas those who score 6 to 9 are typically considered "lonely."

An 11-item self-report scale used in the investigator's previous studies. Participants report how often there are opportunities, messages, and pastor support for physical activity at their church as well as the presence of policies that support physical activity. Scores for each dimension are created ranging from 1 to 4 (higher scores indicate more favorable practices/policies). A composite score which is the average of the four dimensions is also created, ranging from 1 to 4, interpreted the same way.

Participants are asked whether, in a usual week not including time at work, they do moderate or vigorous physical activity (yes or no), and if yes, how many days and how much total time per day. For those who report they do some physical activity, the investigators multiple days by time to get minutes per week of physical activity. Investigators then clasify participants as inactive (report no physical activity), underactive (report less than 150 minutes per week of physical activity), or regularly active (report 150 minutes or more per week of physical activity). The items are based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnaire.