Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine facilitators of behavior change and weight loss among African-American women who participated in the Moving Forward Efficacy trial.
Methods: Linear mixed models were used to examine the role of self-efficacy, social support, and perceived access to healthy eating, exercise, and neighborhood safety on weight, physical activity, and diet. We also examined the mediation of self-efficacy, social support, and perceived access to healthy eating, exercise, and neighborhood safety on weight loss, physical activity, and diet using the Freedman Schatzkin statistic.
Results: We found no evidence to suggest mediation, but some direct associations of self-efficacy, certain types of social support and perceived access to exercise on weight loss, and behavior change.
Conclusion: We determined that self-efficacy, social support, and perceived access to exercise played a role in weight loss, increased MVPA, and better diet. The role of self-efficacy and perceived access to exercise were more consistent than social support.
Keywords: African American breast cancer survivors; Breast cancer; Weight loss.