Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Cross-sectional associations between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for physical activity and body composition in
Fábio de Freitas1, Mariana R Zago2, Maria Ângela Antônio2
1Unicamp School of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, Child and Adolescent Health Graduate Program, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Background:
Motivation is essential in turning the intention to engage in physical activity (PA) into consistent action, promoting healthier and more sustainable habits. This study aimed to identify the motivational factors associated with engagement in a PA program and examine the relationship between motivation and body composition in adolescents with obesity.
Methods:
Fifty adolescents (60.0 % boys); Median age of 13.6 years (IQR: 2.4); Median BMI z-score of 3.42 (IQR: 1.55) recruited for a PA program were included in this cross-sectional study. All participants completed standardized body composition assessments and an online questionnaire assessing five motivational domains: enjoyment and competence (intrinsic), and appearance, fitness, and social (extrinsic domains).
Results:
Fitness emerged as the main reason for engaging in the PA program (6.41 ± 0.81), followed by appearance (5.64 ± 1.43), enjoyment (4.98 ± 1.47), competence (4.55 ± 1.99), and social (3.79 ± 1.85). Enjoyment and competence showed significant negative associations with body weight. (r p = -0.29, p = 0.045; r p = -0.32, p = 0.027). Regression analysis identified fitness as a significant predictor for BMI z-score (β = 0.4, p = 0.027).
Conclusion:
Extrinsic motives, such as fitness and appearance may drive PA engagement in treatment-seeking adolescents with obesity. However, intrinsic motives, such as enjoyment and competence, may be inversely associated with BMI z-score. Thus, targeting both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation may help to improve adherence and weight outcomes in obesity care. More studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.
Related Concept Videos
Obesity
Longitudinal Research
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
The theory differentiates between...
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Cross-Sectional Research
Longitudinal Studies

