Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, Social Support, and Outcomes Expectations for Daily Physical Activity in Adults with Chronic Stroke: A Descriptive, Exploratory Study

Abstract

Interventions are needed to increase physical activity throughout the day in adults with chronic stroke, but mechanisms of action for doing so have not been identified. In this descriptive, exploratory study of 36 ambulatory, community-dwelling adults with chronic stroke, participants completed questionnaires investigating self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, and outcomes expectations for daily physical activity. In the absence of any intervention, participants consistently reported high self-efficacy and outcomes expectations but low use of self-regulation and social support strategies. Discussion of how these results can inform the development of interventions to facilitate daily physical activity in adults with chronic stroke is provided.

Keywords: Outcomes expectations; physical activity; self-efficacy; self-regulation; social support; stroke.

Figure 1.

Potential mechanisms of action for daily physical activity. Asterisk (*) indicates mechanisms of action investigated in this study.

Figure 2.

Percent of questionnaire responses by category (Low, Moderate, High) for each questionnaire. Questionnaire responses were converted into categorical responses reflecting degree of agreement with questionnaire items. For self-efficacy (10-point scale), original responses of 1–3 = Low, 4–6 = Moderate, and 7–10 = High. For the remaining questionnaires (5-point scales), original responses of 1–2 = Low, 3 = Moderate, 4–5 = High. High responses consistently exceeded Low responses for self-efficacy, positive outcomes expectations, and negative outcomes expectations, whereas responses were much more variable for self-regulation and social support. Abbreviation: OE, outcomes expectations.