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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
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College students' motivation to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Andrea C Furia1, Rebecca E Lee, Myra L Strother
1Office of Special Health issues, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA.
Objectives:
To develop and refine a scale of motivational factors related to healthy weight achievement and maintenance and to examine differences by gender and weight status.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of 300 university students aged 18-24 years.
Results:
Factor analysis yielded 6 factors-Intrinsic (Cronbach's alpha=0.73): affective motivation, self-efficacy/interest; Extrinsic (Cronbach's alpha=0.68): social reward, peer pressure, lack of choice, and authority influence. Males and normal-weight students showed higher affective motivation and overall intrinsic motivation compared to females and overweight students, (P<.001).
Conclusion:
Intrinsic motivational factors and gender differences should be considered in developing obesity prevention interventions in this age-group.
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