| The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of daily perceived social support and social control receipt, as well as the effects of partner reports of provided social support and control, on daily physical activity. Couples completed 14 daily diary surveys measuring social support and social control provided to the romantic partner and received from the romantic partner, as well as a self-report measure of daily exercise minutes. During this 14-day period, participants were also asked to wear a Fitbit Zip to track their daily physical activity. Men and women demonstrated different patterns of effects for social support and social control for the three outcome variables: daily steps, daily active minutes, and daily exercise minutes. For women, support received from a partner was a significant predictor of more exercise for all outcomes, while for men it only significantly predicted self-reported exercise. Partner-reported provided support only significantly predicted more daily exercise minutes for men. There were no significant effects of received social control, but partner-reported social control provision predicted more daily steps and active minutes for men. This study provides a better understanding of how daily social support and social control might influence health-promoting behaviors, such as physical activity. |
