Motives and self-regulation are associated with multiple health behaviors in young adults

This study examined associations between motives, self-regulation, and health behaviors and tested the factor structure of a healthy eating motives scale adapted from the Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised. Participants (N = 187) were primarily female (67%) and Caucasian, non-Hispanic (94%), with a mean age of 20.39 years (standard deviation (SD) = 1.58). Participants completed an online survey assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior, fruit and vegetable intake, and motivational constructs based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure for healthy eating motives (health, appearance, social, interest) with strong internal consistency. Multiple regression results showed intrinsic motives and autonomous regulation were positively associated with physical activity and vegetable intake and negatively associated with sedentary time. Cross-behavioral effects were limited, though autonomous regulation demonstrated consistent benefits across domains. Outcomes reinforce the importance of autonomous motivation in promoting health behaviors and provide psychometric support for an SDT-based measure of dietary motives.