AUTHOR=Durán-Vinagre Miguel Ángel , Ibáñez Sergio J. , Feu Sebastián , Sánchez-Herrera Susana 

TITLE=Analysis of the motivational processes involved in university physical activity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1080162

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1080162

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=This study analyzed university students’ motivational processes and intention to be physically active when engaging in physical activity (PA) according to gender and fields of study. A total of 1.524 subjects participated in the study, 61.9% (n=944) of whom were female and 38.1% (n=580) were male, with an average age of 19.61 years. The fields of study consisted of Arts and Humanities (n=118), Science (n=132), Health Sciences (n=351), Engineering and Architecture (n=196) and Social and Legal Sciences (n=727). The instruments used were the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) and the Intention to be Physically Active in the University Context (MIFAU) measurement scale. The results showed statistically significant differences in favour of men (p<0.01) in terms of intrinsic, integrated, identified, and introjected regulation of PA. Similarly, men were more likely to be physically active in the future than women (p<0.001). In terms of the study variables relating to the fields of study, statistically significant differences were obtained in the case of both more self-determined behavior (intrinsic, integrated and identified regulation) and amotivation (p<0.001). Finally, it was concluded that there is a need for the promotion of intervention strategies to encourage young adults to take up sporting activities as a means of preventing noncommunicable diseases, thereby avoiding the negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, physical inactivity, or abandonment of such activities.