Everyday Social Support for Health Behaviours in Older Adults during Times of Challenge: Evidence from Daily Life Assessments.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged older adults' health behaviours, making it even more difficult to engage in healthy diets and physical activity than it had been prepandemic. A resource to promote these could be social support. This study uses data from 136 older adults (M_age = 71.39 years, SD = 5.15, range: 63-87) who reported their daily fruit and vegetable consumption, steps, and health-behaviour-specific support from a close other every evening for up to 10 consecutive days. Findings show that on days when participants reported more emotional support than usual, fruit and vegetable consumption and step counts were higher. Daily instrumental support was positively associated with step counts, only. Participants receiving more overall emotional support across the study period consumed more fruit and vegetables; no parallel person-level association was found for overall steps. There were no significant interactions between dyad type and support links for our outcomes.