Abstract
The present study aimed to identify the exercise motives according to selected socio-demographic indicators in university students. The sample was comprised of 2,380 individuals (1,213 men and 1,167 women) aged between 18 and 35 years. The exercise motives were identified with the Portuguese-translated version of the Exercise Motivations Inventory (EMI-2). University students gave significantly greater importance to exercise for reasons identified as Disease Prevention. Factors that are less relevant in statistical language were identified in a context of motivation associated with Social Recognition and Competition. Sex, age, family economic class, experience with exercise and body weight had a significant effect on the level of importance of exercise among university students. In conclusion, the results found can contribute to the development of physical activity promotion programs and a possible reduction in the number of dropouts among university students.
Highlights
The information available in the literature emphasizes the multiple benefits of exercise to promote well-being and to minimize the risks of the onset and development of degenerative dysfunctions associated with physical inactivity (Haskell, et al, 2007; World Health Organization [WHO], 2010)
When the hierarchy of mean values found for each motivational factor is considered, the most emphasized factor was characteristic of the motivational context of disease prevention (3.49 ± 0.61)
The remaining motivational factors were gathered in an intermediate position in which the mean values of physical fitness (2.95 ± 0.69), body weight management (2.90 ± 0.85), physical appearance (2.80 ± 0.68) and stress management (2.80 ± 0.77) were significantly different from the mean values observed in leisure/well-being (2.40 ± 0.70), affiliation (2.28 ± 0.66) and health rehabilitation (2.16 ± 0.74)
Summary
The information available in the literature emphasizes the multiple benefits of exercise to promote well-being and to minimize the risks of the onset and development of degenerative dysfunctions associated with physical inactivity (Haskell, et al, 2007; World Health Organization [WHO], 2010). Exercise motives in university have pointed out that a small portion of the population exercises regularly (Ferreira & Najar, 2005; Varo et al, 2003) and that, among those who begin to do so, there is an alarming number of dropouts (Anderson, 2003; Ebben & Brudzynski, 2008). In view of this situation, recent studies have sought to apply different theories developed in the field of psychology that could explain adherence to exercise (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Experiences with exercise in the university environment can translate into a satisfactory predictor of future practice in more advanced ages in adulthood
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