(PS1-96) Physical Activity Support in Partner Dyads for Women at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: Daily Experiences in a Pilot Trial of a Dyadic Physical Activity Behavior Change Program

Friday, November 15, 2024

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM EST

Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown

Author(s)

Danielle Arigo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology and Family Medicine
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States

Co-Author(s)

SG

Sofia Gular, B.A.

Research Coordinator
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
KB

Kiri Baga, M.A.

Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
EL

Emmanuel Lapitan, B.A.

Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
IB

Iris Bercovitz, M.A.

Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
AS

Anisha Satish, M.A.

Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
AF

Amanda Folk, Ph.D.

Research Scientist
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
GS

Gabrielle Salvatore, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey, United States
KH

Kyle R. Haggerty, Ph.D.

Neuropsychologist
Richmond VA Medical Center
Richmond, Virginia, United States

Abstract Text: Risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases sharply during midlife (ages 40-65), due to biological aging and psychosocial stress due to changing psychosocial roles. For women, this risk is uniquely exacerbated by the menopause transition, caregiving stress, and simultaneous decreases in cardioprotective physical activity (PA). Lack of social support for PA during this time is a primary barrier for many women as they struggle to manage work and caregiving responsibilities. To address these circumstances and reduce CVD risk in a vulnerable group, dozens of existing behavioral PA promotion interventions purportedly enhance PA social support for these women (and thereby, increase PA); however, very few specify clear methods for activating social support or facilitating it during the intervention (Arigo et al., 2022). Fewer (if any) assess social support among participants as it unfolds in daily life, between treatment sessions, to elucidate support as a primary mechanism of PA behavior change. The present study employed the formation of PA partner dyads by pairing participants with each other for day-to-day support during an 8-week behavioral PA intervention. Participants did not know each other prior to the intervention. Women in midlife with >1 risk factor for CVD (e.g., hypertension, type 2 diabetes; N=62, MAge=52, MBMI=31 kg/m2, 40% racial/ethnic minority identification) completed 6 weekly sessions with a PA coach, with assessment only in Weeks 1 and 8; 3 were joint sessions with their PA partner (31 dyads) and partners were encouraged to communicate as desired for support between sessions. Initial partner sessions introduced support types and facilitated setting expectations for partner support. End-of-day reports showed that partners communicated on 52% of days, with average frequencies ranging from 2-7 days per week (M=4.35). One partner initiated contact but did not receive a response on only 2% of days. Women reported moderate to high satisfaction with today’s experience of partner support (rating of >3/5) on 88% of days with communication, as well as moderate to high satisfaction with how these support interactions affected their PA on 70% of these days. The most frequent support exchanges involved encouragement (96% of days), accountability (89% of days), and validation of each others’ challenges (90% of days). Sharing suggestions for how to be active (information) and problem-solving were less common but occurred on 80% and 47% of days, respectively. End-of-treatment feedback on women’s experiences of the program reflected very high overall satisfaction with partner support (M=4.4/5) and qualitative interviews identified key communication challenges to be addressed in future iterations of the intervention. Findings demonstrate high acceptability of partner-based PA intervention for women with elevated CVD risk and the feasibility of using brief, intensive assessment to understand how intervention-facilitated support may affect PA in daily life, between treatment sessions. Findings also highlight opportunities to improve the activation of a range of needed social support resources for a large, diverse, at-risk population.