Exercise self-efficacy plays a mediating role between social support and physical function among patients transferred from the intensive care unit

Exercise self-efficacy plays a mediating role between social support and physical function among patients transferred from the intensive care unit. Download PDF Abstract Physical impairment is common after critical illness and may hinder recovery and quality of life. Social support has been associated with physical function among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear.

Exercise self-efficacy may help explain this relationship. This cross-sectional study included 300 patients transferred from the ICU between July 2025 and March 2026. Social support, exercise self-efficacy, and physical function were assessed using the Social Support Rating Scale, Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, and Short Physical Performance Battery, respectively.

Spearman’s rank correlation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analyses using PROCESS Model 4 were performed. Indirect effects were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap samples with 95% confidence intervals.

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