Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity in Korean Adults.

Abstract

Using hypothesized structural equation modeling, we investigated contributions to physical activity (PA) from psychological, social, and environmental variables. Participants were 768 adults aged 30 years or older (men = 353, women = 415; M_age = 42.51, SD = 10.21 years) living in Jungrang-gu, Seoul. To assess psychological, social, and environmental variables, respondents completed scales measuring self-efficacy, decisional balance, social support, physical environment, and leisure time exercise. We found that psychological, social, and environmental variables had a statistically significant effect on PA, with psychological variables mediating the effects of social and physical environmental variables on PA. These findings lend support to the assumed internal and external validity of the social ecological model (SEM) as an explanation for PA.