RT Journal
A1 Haverly K, Davison K
T1 PErsonal fulfillment motivates adolescents to be physically active
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2005
FD December 1
VO 159
IS 12
SP 1115
OP 1120
DO 10.1001/archpedi.159.12.1115
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.159.12.1115
AB Objectives 
    To identify factors that motivate adolescents to be physically active; to assess differences in motivators for groups at risk for physical inactivity, including girls vs boys, overweight vs nonoverweight youth, and youth with low vs high perceived sport competence; and to assess links between activity motivation and physical activity.Design 
    Cross-sectional study.Setting 
    A middle school in rural central Pennsylvania.Participants 
    Two hundred two girls (n = 92) and boys (n = 110).Main Exposure 
    Motivations to be physically active were assessed using the Activity Motivation Scale. Perceived sport competence was measured by the Physical Self Description Questionnaire. Participants’ height and weight were measured and used to classify their overweight status.Main Outcome Measure 
    Three self-reported measures were used to assess adolescents’ physical activity.Results 
    Adolescents were most likely to report personal fulfillment as the strongest motivating factor for physical activity (mean [SD], 3.49 [0.56]), followed by weight-based motivation (mean [SD], 2.39 [0.93]), peer motivation (mean [SD], 2.09 [0.67]), and parent motivation (mean [SD], 1.72 [0.73]; F = 680.74; P<.001). Overweight adolescents reported significantly higher weight-based motivation (mean [SD], 2.84 [0.79]) compared with nonoverweight adolescents (mean [SD], 2.06 [0.89]; F = 40.52; P<.001), and adolescents with low perceived sport competence reported significantly lower personal fulfillment motivation (mean [SD], 3.20 [0.68]) compared with adolescents with higher perceived sport competence (mean [SD], 3.69 [0.32]; F = 52.31; P<.001). Personal fulfillment was the only motivating factor that showed a consistent moderate to strong association with physical activity across all regression models.Conclusion 
    Personal fulfillment motivation should be considered when designing physical activity promotion programs for adolescents.