Self-determined motivation towards physical activity in adolescents treated for obesity: an observational study

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Sep 2011

Background Within the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework, the first major study aim was to investigate the SDT tenets in an obese adolescent population by examining the factor structure of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) and by investigating associations between physical activity (PA) and motivation in obese adolescents. The second aim was to study differences in motivation according to adolescents' educational level, since lower educated obese adolescent are a sub-risk group for lower PA levels among the obese adolescents. The third aim was to investigate whether attending a residential obesity treatment program could lead to an increase in autonomous motivation towards PA and to see if the treatment effect on motivation was different in low versus high educated youth. Methods For the first study aim, the sample comprised 177 obese adolescents at the start of a 10-month multidisciplinary residential obesity treatment program (BMI = 35.9 ± 6.0 kg/m2, 15.1 ± 1.5 years, 62% girls). A subsample of 65 adolescents (stratified by educational level) were divided into low (n = 34) versus high educated (n = 31) as part of the second and third study aim. Motivation was assessed using the BREQ-2 and PA using the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results Exploratory factor analysis showed sufficient validations with the original factor for 17 out of 19 BREQ-2 items. Significant positive correlations were found between PA and the composite score of relative autonomy (r = 0.31, p < 0.001), introjected (r = 0.23, p < 0.01), identified (r = 0.31, p < 0.001) and intrinsic regulation (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). Higher educated adolescents scored higher on the composite score of relative autonomy, introjected, identified and intrinsic regulation at the start of treatment (F = 3.68, p < 0.001). The composite score of relative autonomy, external, identified and intrinsic regulation significantly increased during treatment for all adolescents (F = 6.65, p < 0.001). Introjected regulation significantly increased for lower educated adolescents (F = 25.57, p < 0.001). Conclusions The BREQ-2 can be used in an obese adolescent population. Higher levels of autonomous motivation towards PA were related to higher PA levels. Adolescents had increases in both autonomous and controlled forms of motivation during treatment. Special attention for lower educated adolescents during treatment is needed, as they have a lower autonomous motivation at the start of treatment and an increase in introjected regulation during treatment.

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Self-determined motivation towards physical activity in adolescents treated for obesity: an observational study

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-determined motivation towards physical activity in adolescents treated for obesity: an observational study Mat Verloigne 0 Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij 0 Ann Tanghe 2 Eva D'Hondt 0 Lotte Theuwis 1 Maarten Vansteenkiste 1 Benedicte Deforche 0 3 0 Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium 1 Department of Psychology, Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium 2 Zeepreventorium , De Haan , Belgium 3 Department of Human Biometrics and Biomechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussels , Brussels , Belgium Background: Within the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework, the first major study aim was to investigate the SDT tenets in an obese adolescent population by examining the factor structure of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) and by investigating associations between physical activity (PA) and motivation in obese adolescents. The second aim was to study differences in motivation according to adolescents' educational level, since lower educated obese adolescent are a sub-risk group for lower PA levels among the obese adolescents. The third aim was to investigate whether attending a residential obesity treatment program could lead to an increase in autonomous motivation towards PA and to see if the treatment effect on motivation was different in low versus high educated youth. Methods: For the first study aim, the sample comprised 177 obese adolescents at the start of a 10-month multidisciplinary residential obesity treatment program (BMI = 35.9 6.0 kg/m2, 15.1 1.5 years, 62% girls). A subsample of 65 adolescents (stratified by educational level) were divided into low (n = 34) versus high educated (n = 31) as part of the second and third study aim. Motivation was assessed using the BREQ-2 and PA using the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Exploratory factor analysis showed sufficient validations with the original factor for 17 out of 19 BREQ-2 items. Significant positive correlations were found between PA and the composite score of relative autonomy (r = 0.31, p < 0.001), introjected (r = 0.23, p < 0.01), identified (r = 0.31, p < 0.001) and intrinsic regulation (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). Higher educated adolescents scored higher on the composite score of relative autonomy, introjected, identified and intrinsic regulation at the start of treatment (F = 3.68, p < 0.001). The composite score of relative autonomy, external, identified and intrinsic regulation significantly increased during treatment for all adolescents (F = 6.65, p < 0.001). Introjected regulation significantly increased for lower educated adolescents (F = 25.57, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The BREQ-2 can be used in an obese adolescent population. Higher levels of autonomous motivation towards PA were related to higher PA levels. Adolescents had increases in both autonomous and controlled forms of motivation during treatment. Special attention for lower educated adolescents during treatment is needed, as they have a lower autonomous motivation at the start of treatment and an increase in introjected regulation during treatment. - Background Overweight and obesity in adolescence are associated with several adolescence and further life course physical and psychological problems [1,2]. Adolescents who already contend with overweight or obesity, are consequently impelled to follow a treatment program [3]. Physical activity (PA) is one of the key components in obesity treatment and one of the best predictors of long-term maintenance of weight loss [4]. To promote PA as an obesity treatment strategy in adolescents, a better understanding of factors that influence participation in PA in obese adolescents is important. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides insight into reasons why people adopt and maintain certain health behaviours [5,6] and has been used to understand exercise and PA participation [7]. According to the SDT, the regulation towards PA can be amotivated, extrinsically motivated or intrinsically motivated. Amotivation is a state characterized by a lack of intention to engage in the activity [8]. Extrinsic motivation implies that a person engages in the behaviour to achieve outcomes that are separable from the behaviour itself. Within extrinsic motivation there is a continuum of behavioural regulations, reflecting the degree of autonomy or self-integration. External regulation involves being physically active to satisfy an external requirement (e.g., rewards, sanctions, expectations). Introjected regulation involves motivation towards PA in order to avoid negative feelings or to enhance ones ego. Both external and introjected regulation represent controlled types of motivation as individuals will likely feel pressured to perform the behaviour [5,6]. For identified regulation on the contrary, the behaviour is performed more willingly even though the activity is not enjoyable. A person can participate i (...truncated)


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Maïté Verloigne, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Ann Tanghe, Eva D'Hondt, Lotte Theuwis, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Benedicte Deforche. Self-determined motivation towards physical activity in adolescents treated for obesity: an observational study, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2011, pp. 97, 8, DOI: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-97