(PS7-45) Mothers Getting (Motivation) in Shape: Family-Level Influences on Physical Activity

Abstract Text:

Background: Mothers, and other women caregivers to children, with marginalized identities face unique barriers to engaging in healthy behaviors, like physical activity (PA). A community-based PA program, Moms on the Move (MOMs), first piloted in 2022, attempts to mitigate PA barriers for Black and Hispanic women caregivers with low socioeconomic status by offering in-person group PA sessions held during children’s sports practices, as well as goal-setting calls, individually-tailored materials, and exercise equipment. Given the nature of this behavioral intervention, there was an opportunity to explore the influence of the family on individual-level motivation to change behavior. Building from interdependence theory (Rusbult, 2003), which has demonstrated a transformation of motivation in behavior change in the context of romantic relationships, we aimed to understand whether the family is another social context that shifts motivation for women caregivers of children.

Methods: We analyzed exit interviews from participants (N = 9) who completed the MOMs program, using a directed content analysis. Exit interviews included questions that explored family relationships in the context of the program and inquired about sources of motivation, including family-level influences. We also asked participants if they would be interested in a family-level intervention.

Results: Participants included eight mothers and one grandmother (ages 32-64; 55.6% African American) who reported caring for at least one child (range: 1-3 children). When asked about their sources of motivation, these participants cited their value of health and their relationships with and responsibility toward their children or grandchildren. These two motivational sources often overlapped, as some participants stated their motivation came from wanting to be healthy for their children, e.g., “I want to be able to walk with her and run across the field with my son while he’s running with the ball” (Participant 1, 39-year-old mother), and wanting to model healthy lifestyle behaviors, including (but not limited to PA), for their children. Participants unanimously expressed interest in a family-level intervention. This may be influenced, at least in part, by a final theme noted: the MOMs programs not only positively influenced PA but also family relationships, e.g., “I felt like that was just something for us to bond on” (Participant 2, 38-year-old mother).

Conclusion: In conclusion, this preliminary evidence suggests that family relationships are important and valuable sources of motivation for PA among women caregivers with marginalized identities. Given women caregivers (especially Black women) tend to prioritize the health of others over themselves, our results offer a pathway through which the family can be a source of motivation, rather than a barrier to good health. Future work can continue to investigate whether and how the process of motivation is transformed within the family, and build interventions that focus on these cognitive and behavioral mechanisms to improve PA and broader health outcomes for this vulnerable population.