Understanding Vocational Students' Motivation for Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors
Annabelle Kuipers1,2, Gitte C Kloek1, Sanne I de Vries1
1Research Group Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Johanna Westerdijkplein 75, 2521 EN The Hague, The Netherlands.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 6, 2021
Summary
Autonomous motivation supports healthy eating and physical activity in vocational students. Understanding motivation is key for effective health interventions targeting adolescents and young adults.
Area of Science:
- Health Behavior Research
- Adolescent and Young Adult Health
- Self-Determination Theory Applications
Background:
- Unhealthy eating and low physical activity are prevalent issues in vocational students.
- Understanding motivational factors is crucial for designing effective health interventions.
- Self-Determination Theory provides a framework to explore motivation's role in health behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between different types of motivation and dietary/physical activity behaviors in vocational students.
- To examine the role of autonomous and controlled motivation, and amotivation, in health behaviors.
- To identify potential intervention targets for improving health behaviors in this population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 809 vocational students (mean age 17.8 years).
- Utilized linear multilevel regression analyses to assess motivation-behavior associations.
- Measured dietary intake (e.g., water, fruit, snacks) and physical activity levels.
Main Results:
- Amotivation correlated with less frequent breakfast and increased consumption of unhealthy snacks and diet soda.
- Autonomous motivation was linked to higher water and fruit intake, frequent breakfast, and increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
- Autonomous motivation showed a negative association with unhealthy product consumption; controlled motivation had no significant associations.
Conclusions:
- Motivation significantly influences health behaviors, differentiating between healthy and unhealthy patterns in vocational students.
- Autonomous motivation is strongly associated with positive health behaviors and represents a promising target for interventions.
- Intervention programs should focus on fostering autonomous motivation to promote healthier lifestyles in adolescents and young adults in vocational settings.
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