Purpose: There is a dearth of information about factors related to physical activity among Mexican-Americans with diabetes. Self-efficacy and social support are associated with physical activity; however, little is known about their roles within different cultural groups.
Design: Focus groups were used to identify factors that motivated walking.
Setting: Two Mexican-American communities located in Tucson, Arizona.
Subjects: Individuals who attended diabetes education.
Intervention: A community-based provider organized walking groups with people who previously attended diabetes classes. Walkers participated in focus groups exploring themes related to their experiences.
Measures: Self-efficacy, social support, and collective efficacy. Grounded theory was used to analyze focus group results using two rounds of analysis; the first identified references to self-efficacy and social support, and the second added collective efficacy as a theoretic basis for walking.
Results: Among 43 eligible participants, 20 participated in focus groups. Social support was expressed as commitment and companionship. Walkers demonstrated a high level of self-efficacy for walking. Development of group identity/social cohesion was also a motivator to walk. Collective efficacy emerged as an applicable theoretic model encompassing these themes and their interrelationship.
Conclusion: Collective efficacy, or the belief that the group can improve their lives through collective effort, is a viable theoretic construct in the development of physical activity interventions targeting Mexican-Americans with diabetes.