DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAINTENANCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Motivation has been consistently related to physical activity adoption and maintenance. Lee and DiClemente (1999, 2001) found that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation increased significantly by stage of exercise adoption. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to extend this work by examining changes in motivation and other psychosocial variables as a function of patterns of physical activity maintenance (Bock et al., 2001). METHODS Healthy college students (N=142, 66.2% female; 88.7% Caucasian; age 21.3 ±3.6 yr) enrolled in four exercise (N=72; aerobics, kickboxing, and strength training) and four lecture (N=70; AIDS Awareness, Personal Health, and Human Sexuality) classes completed instruments to measure demographic variables, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and other psychosocial factors at the beginning and end of the 10-wk academic quarter. Exercise stage was measured pre and post, and students were classified into Stable Inactive (SI: n=32), Stable Active (SA: n=45), Regressed (RG: n=16), and Progressed (PG: n=20). RESULTS Participants in exercise classes reported stability in physical activity while physical activity among those in lecture classes significantly declined. Those in exercise classes also reported greater intrinsic and extrinsic motivation than did those in lecture classes. After adjusting for class assignment, repeated measures ANOVAs showed that SAs reported more exercise and scored consistently higher on intrinsic motivation, social support and self efficacy than those in SI, RG and PG (p < .05). Self-efficacy for making time for exercise was the only factor that distinguished among maintenance groups over time (p < .05), increasing for PR and decreasing for RG. CONCLUSIONS Factors other than intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may mediate the processes of adoption and maintenance. Commitment and behavioral skills such as time management may be stronger indicators of physical activity maintenance rather than cognitive measures of attitudes or beliefs. Funded in part by the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services, The Ohio State University