Desire as a determinant of physical activity: Evidence from a sample of young adult females

Abstract

Three measures of desire relating to physical activity were developed and evaluated psychometrically and then used in an 18 months longitudinal investigation involving 258 young adult females (mean age, 20.6 years) to test the extent to which desire is a determinant of participation in physical activity. The measures were found to have acceptable psychometric properties and regression analyses revealed that change scores from two of the measures predicted change in physical activity level. The predictive information provided by the desire measures added significantly to that obtained from already well established predictors of physical activity (viz., self-efficacy, perceived behavioural control and decisional balance). It is concluded that desire is significantly related to participation in physical activity and that further study of the desire construct could enhance understanding of exercise motivation.

Key Words:

• Exercise
• Motivation
• physical activity