Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and high blood pressure, a precursor to its development, disproportionately affects African American adults. Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity has been associated with clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In addition, social and physical environmental factors (social support, neighborhood walkability) have been shown to predict physical activity in longitudinal studies. Thus, social and physical environmental supports may positively influence physical activity, which may in turn reduce blood pressure as part of a causal pathway or mediated effect. In the present study it was hypothesized that peer social support for physical activity and neighborhood walkability (social and physical environmental supports) would predict physical activity (measured by 7-day accelerometry and reported walking and exercising) which would operate as a mediator in predicting blood pressure. Baseline data collected in a sample of African American adults (N=434) living in underserved (e.g. low income, high crime) communities and participating in the Positive Action for Today's Health (PATH) trial were obtained to test this hypothesis. The sample was predominantly female (63%), overweight (body mass index [BMI]; MBMI=30.88, SD=8.43), and had low rates of physical activity (e.g. an average of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week for the sample) and elevated BP with a mean systolic blood pressure of 132.37 (SD=17.89) and a mean diastolic blood pressure of 81.39 (SD=10.96). Neighborhood
","abstract_html":"<p>Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and high blood pressure, a precursor to its development, disproportionately affects African American adults. Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity has been associated with clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In addition, social and physical environmental factors (social support, neighborhood walkability) have been shown to predict physical activity in longitudinal studies. Thus, social and physical environmental supports may positively influence physical activity, which may in turn reduce blood pressure as part of a causal pathway or mediated effect. In the present study it was hypothesized that peer social support for physical activity and neighborhood walkability (social and physical environmental supports) would predict physical activity (measured by 7-day accelerometry and reported walking and exercising) which would operate as a mediator in predicting blood pressure. Baseline data collected in a sample of African American adults (N=434) living in underserved (e.g. low income, high crime) communities and participating in the Positive Action for Today's Health (PATH) trial were obtained to test this hypothesis. The sample was predominantly female (63%), overweight (body mass index [BMI]; MBMI=30.88, SD=8.43), and had low rates of physical activity (e.g. an average of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week for the sample) and elevated BP with a mean systolic blood pressure of 132.37 (SD=17.89) and a mean diastolic blood pressure of 81.39 (SD=10.96). Neighborhood</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Coulon, Sandra Marie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dawn K Wilson"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z","subjects":["Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Blood Pressure","Environment","Neighborhood Walkability","Physical Activity","Social Support"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Sandra Marie Coulon"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2138","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dawn K Wilson"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Coulon, Sandra Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Blood Pressure","Environment","Neighborhood Walkability","Physical Activity","Social Support"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Sandra Marie Coulon"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2138"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and high blood pressure, a precursor to its development, disproportionately affects African American adults. Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity has been associated with clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In addition, social and physical environmental factors (social support, neighborhood walkability) have been shown to predict physical activity in longitudinal studies. Thus, social and physical environmental supports may positively influence physical activity, which may in turn reduce blood pressure as part of a causal pathway or mediated effect. In the present study it was hypothesized that peer social support for physical activity and neighborhood walkability (social and physical environmental supports) would predict physical activity (measured by 7-day accelerometry and reported walking and exercising) which would operate as a mediator in predicting blood pressure. Baseline data collected in a sample of African American adults (N=434) living in underserved (e.g. low income, high crime) communities and participating in the Positive Action for Today's Health (PATH) trial were obtained to test this hypothesis. The sample was predominantly female (63%), overweight (body mass index [BMI]; MBMI=30.88, SD=8.43), and had low rates of physical activity (e.g. an average of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week for the sample) and elevated BP with a mean systolic blood pressure of 132.37 (SD=17.89) and a mean diastolic blood pressure of 81.39 (SD=10.96). Neighborhood
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Role of Social Support, Neighborhood Walkability, and Physical Activity, On Blood Pressure In African American Adults In the Path Trial: A Mediation Proposal"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dawn K Wilson"],"dc:creator":["Coulon, Sandra Marie"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and high blood pressure, a precursor to its development, disproportionately affects African American adults. Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity has been associated with clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In addition, social and physical environmental factors (social support, neighborhood walkability) have been shown to predict physical activity in longitudinal studies. Thus, social and physical environmental supports may positively influence physical activity, which may in turn reduce blood pressure as part of a causal pathway or mediated effect. In the present study it was hypothesized that peer social support for physical activity and neighborhood walkability (social and physical environmental supports) would predict physical activity (measured by 7-day accelerometry and reported walking and exercising) which would operate as a mediator in predicting blood pressure. Baseline data collected in a sample of African American adults (N=434) living in underserved (e.g. low income, high crime) communities and participating in the Positive Action for Today's Health (PATH) trial were obtained to test this hypothesis. The sample was predominantly female (63%), overweight (body mass index [BMI]; MBMI=30.88, SD=8.43), and had low rates of physical activity (e.g. an average of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week for the sample) and elevated BP with a mean systolic blood pressure of 132.37 (SD=17.89) and a mean diastolic blood pressure of 81.39 (SD=10.96). Neighborhood
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2138"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Sandra Marie Coulon"],"dc:subject":["Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Blood Pressure","Environment","Neighborhood Walkability","Physical Activity","Social Support"],"dc:title":["The Role of Social Support, Neighborhood Walkability, and Physical Activity, On Blood Pressure In African American Adults In the Path Trial: A Mediation Proposal"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z"}