It found that women in a 'good match' dyad reported higher levels of all types of social support and more physical activity compared to those in neutral or poor matches.
BMC Women's Health · 4 authors, 3 centres
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It found that women in a 'good match' dyad reported higher levels of all types of social support and more physical activity compared to those in neutral or poor matches.
This secondary analysis examined the natural social support environment and physical activity (PA) behavior in 46 women living beyond breast cancer treatment (WBC) who were newly matched into peer dyads. Participants were provided with a Fitbit and completed daily surveys for 21 days, with no guidance on interaction or exercise frequency. The study used descriptive statistics to characterize PA (measured by Fitbit) and social support, and content analysis for open-ended responses. The central result was that participants self-identified as being in good (63%), neutral (20%), or poor (17%) dyad matches. Those in a good match reported significantly higher mean scores for days connected, days exercised, minutes of light and moderate-vigorous PA, and all four types of social support (esteem, emotional, informational, tangible) compared to neutral or poor matches. Esteem support was the most frequently received type. The findings provide descriptive insights into the characteristics of effective peer matches that may inform future partner-based PA interventions for WBC, but do not establish causation.