The Influence of Self-Efficacy on Physical Activity in Older Adults with Diabetes

Diabetes affects million individuals within the United States with the highest prevalence in older adults. Physical activity has been shown to improve diabetes control; yet older adults are significantly less physically active than national recommendations suggest. Higher levels of self-efficacy have been shown to increase physical activity in many populations. Bandura’s theoretical framework of self-efficacy has supported that a higher level of self-efficacy correlates with higher levels of physical activity. The research for this dissertation first explored a gap in the literature regarding older adults with diabetes as it relates to self-efficacy and physical activity with an integrative review. This integrative review was foundational for the pilot study which explored the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in older adults with diabetes. Since the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in this population was not well-researched a mixed-method approach was developed for the pilot study to further enhance this research. A relationship between the self-efficacy and physical activity was established and rich accounts of the multiple influencing factors surrounding self-efficacy and physical activity in rural older adults with diabetes are discussed. Due to the uniqueness of this study, there were no studies we could utilize for direct comparison of our results. However, further testing is recommended with larger sample size and in multiple senior center sites to validate these findings. Although there are limitations to this pilot study, this study adds to the limited number of studies on the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in individuals ≥ 65 years with diabetes and is foundational for future studies