Exploring Individual, Social, and Environmental Factors Related to Physical Activity: A Network Analysis

Abstract Objectives Insufficient physical activity (PA) has long been a global health issue, and a number of studies have explored correlates of PA to identify the mechanisms underlying inactive lifestyles. In the literature, dozens of correlates have been identified at different (e.g., individual, environmental) levels, but there is little or no direct evidence for the mutual associations of these correlates. This study analysed 44 variables identified as theoretically and empirically relevant for PA to clarify the factors directly and indirectly associated with PA. Methods A cross-sectional survey dataset of 19,005 Japanese-speaking adults (mean age = 53.50 years, SD = 17.40; 9,706 women) was analysed. The data encompassed demographic and anthropometric variables; self-reported PA levels; perceived social support and environments (e.g., awareness of urban facilities for PA); psychological traits and health-behaviour characteristics (e.g., personality, motivation, self-efficacy, decisional balance, process of change strategies); and technology use (e.g., mobile health apps). Results Network analyses were performed to select meaningful associations (partial correlations) among variables, which identified nine variables directly positively associated with PA: job/employment status, self-efficacy, perceived social support, intrinsic motivation, stage of change, counter conditioning, self-reevaluation, environment, and technology use. Indirect associations (two-step neighbourhood) were identified for 40 (out of 44) variables, implying that most of the kwon PA-correlates are associated with PA—at least indirectly. Conclusion Direct association with PA was identified for variables specified at different (individual–environmental) levels. The estimated mediation relationships echo the significance of the multilevel perspective in understanding how people maintain (in)active lifestyles. Summary Box What is already known on this topic Research has identified numerous factors associated with physical activity (PA) to ascertain how people maintain physical inactivity and acquire healthier, more active lifestyles. Typically, empirical studies have investigated head-to-head associations between PA and PA-correlates, which do not, however, clarify the correlates’ mutual associations and the correlates that are directly and indirectly associated with PA. What this study adds We assessed 44 variables (across individual to environmental levels) that are known to be empirically and theoretically associated with PA among 19,005 Japanese-speaking adults, These variables were submitted to a psychological network analysis, which identified direct association with PA for the following variables (after controlling for all the other variables in the analysis): job/employment status, self-efficacy, perceived social support, intrinsic motivation for PA, stage of change, process-of-change strategies (counter conditioning and self-reevaluation), environment, and mobile-health-app use. Age and motivation for PA showed the highest centrality in the estimated network, implying that these two have the maximum number of associations with other correlates. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy The results highlight the significance of the multilevel approach—that is, understanding (in)active lifestyles from the perspective of individual characteristics (demographic, psychological, behavioural aspects, etc.) as well as social and environmental factors surrounding each individual. Our estimated network will guide stakeholders to specify the factors they should target in their projects (e.g., PA promotion) and estimate how those targets correlate with other factors that may lead to active lifestyles.