Home⇛SALETTINIAN OPEN ACADEMIC REVIEW⇛vol. 7 no. 1 (2025)

Physical Activity And Motivation Among University Students: Implications For Wellness Program

Gene Rose N. Bilibli

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to examine the existing level of physical activity (PA), degree of motivation, and the relationship between physical activity and motivation among university students enrolled in Physical Education classes. One Hundred Sixty apparently healthy university students (118 males and 42 females) answered the International Physical Activity Questionnaire- Short Form (IPAQ-Short Form) to measure their physical activity level and Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-3 (BREQ-3) to assess their motivation for physical activity. The total physical activity of 41% of the BSIT university students revealed low levels of physical activity. Approximately 39% of university students engage in high levels of physical activity, while 21% exhibit moderate levels of physical activity. Based on the results gathered from the BREQ-3, the individuals surveyed displayed a strong sense of identified regulation and intrinsic regulation in relation to their physical activity. Most students (n = 152, 95.0%) reported participating in physical activities with a greater sense of relative autonomy, reflecting a more autonomous sense of motivation. In contrast, only a few students (n = 8, 5.0%) indicated more controlled motivation in their engagement. These findings suggest that most students are motivated to participate in physical activities for intrinsic reasons rather than due to external pressures or obligations. The results revealed no association between the level of physical activity and the degree of motivation among university physical education students (χ2 = 0.102, p = 0.950). These findings suggest that the degree of motivation, whether autonomous or controlled, does not significantly influence the level of physical activity among the students.



References:

  1. Aira, T., Vasankari, T., Heinonen, O. J., Korpelainen, R., Kotkajuuri, J., Parkkari, J., Savonen, K., Uusitalo, A., Valtonen, M., Villberg, J., Vähä‐Ypyä, H., & Kokko, S. (2021). Physical activity from adolescence to young adulthood: patterns of change, and their associations with activity domains and sedentary time. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966021-01130-x
  2. Akin, A. (2023). Physical activity on referral in Brussels. International Journal of Integrated Care, 23(S1), 410. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.icic23150
  3. Altungül, O., & Söyler, D. Y. (2023). Distance education competencies of physical Education teachers: Elazığ Province.International E-journal of Educational Studies, 7(15), 723–729. https://doi.org/10.31458/iejes.1322667
  4.  Anghel-Repede, D. (2023). The teaching career is between motivation and performance. Educaţia 21,25,223–231. https://doi.org/10.24193/ed21.2023.25.24
  5. Apriliyanto, R., & Sulaiman, A. (2023). Understanding Physical Literacy Among Physical Education Teachers. Jurnal Pendidikan Jasmani, Olahraga Dan Kesehatan, 7(1), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.33503/jp.jok.v7i1.2443
  6.  Basnet, N., Wouters, A., & Kusurkar, R. A. (2024). Students’ motivation for honors programs in the Netherlands. SAGE Open,14(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231218097
  7. Bhatt, G., Gupta, N., Manwadkar, S., Mehendale, P., & Kothary, K. (2023). Impact of physical activity on epilepsy. Journal of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University, 18(4), 864–870. https://doi.org/10.4103/jdmimsu.jdmimsu_604_23
  8. Bouffard, L. (2017). Ryan, R. M. et Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory. Basic psychological needs in motivation, development and wellness.
  9. New York, NY : Guilford Press. Revue Québécoise De Psychologie, 38(3), 231. https://doi.org/10.7202/1041847ar
  10.  Brellenthin, A. G., Lee, D., Lefferts, E. C., Lefferts, W. K., Dougherty, R. J., & Kim, Y. (2024). Physical activity intensity and risk of dementia. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
  11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.01.015 
  12. Carrato, A. (2023). Physical Activity is Medicine. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 21(12), 1312–1314. https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2023.7115 
  13. Chen, Y. (2023). The necessity of integrating physical education courses with ideological and political education. Region - Educational Research and Reviews, 5(4), 7. https://doi.org/10.32629/rerr.v5i4.1363 
  14. Curtner‐Smith, M. D., & Fletcher, T. (2024). Physical Education Teacher Education: the past, present, and future questions. Kinesiology Review, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2024-0005 
  15. Dadı, M. M., & Yıldız, Ö. (2023). How should physical and social communication be in physical education and sports lessons? Journal of General Education          and      Humanities, 3(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v3i1.172 
  16. DV, B. (2023). Motivation Theory: From hedonism to the dichotomy of internal and external motivations. obrazovatelʹnyj vestnik “soznanie,” 25–32. https://doi.org/10.26787/nydha-2686-6846-2023-25-10-25-32 
  17. Felea, M. I., & Roman, A. F. (2023). Learning motivation of students. Educaţia 21, 25, 298–304. https://doi.org/10.24193/ed21.2023.25.33
  18.  Freene, N., Barrett, S., Cox, E. R., Hill, J., Lay, R., Seymour, J., Szeto, K., & Gomersall, S. R. (2024). The Physical Activity Advice Continuum-A guide for physical activity promotion in health care. Journal of Physical
  19. Activity and Health, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0748
  20. Frumm, S. M., & Brondfield, S. (2023). Medical student motivation in specialised contexts. The Clinical Teacher. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13717
  21.  Gonçalves, L. L., Morrison, H., Mally, K., & Fletcher, T. (2024). Tensions in enacting democratic approaches in physical education teacher education. Sport,            Education and Society, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2024.2313992 
  22. Grajciarová, L. (2024). The position of the warm-up in school physical education lessons. Studia Sportiva, 17(2), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.5817/sts2023-2-5
  23.  Herrero-González, D., López-Pastor, V. M., Manrique-Arribas, J. C., & Moura, A. (2023). Formative and shared assessment: Literature review on the main contributions in physical education and physical education teacher education. European Physical Education Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x231220995
  24. Higuchi, K. (2024). Changes in students’ motivation to study and their predictions. IIAI Letters on Informatics and Interdisciplinary Research, 5, 1. https://doi.org/10.52731/liir.v005.188 
  25. Hing, C., & Dadah, O. A. (2024). Physical activity and age. The Knee. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knee.2024.01.002
  26. Jia, Y. (2023). How to Integrate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education into Higher Vocational Physical Education. Transactions on Social Science Education and Humanities Research, 3, 32–34. https://doi.org/10.62051/vpb54w53
  27. Joniton, S., & Shafras, M. (2024). Narrative review on the importance of yoga in physical education and sports. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.26773/jaspe.240105
  28. Joseph, B. S., Augustine, L. S., & Joe, T. H. (2017). Knowledge of University Athletes about Knowing and Monitoring of Vital Signs of Blood Pressure (BP), Heart Rate (HR) and Body Mass Index (BMI) as Preventive Strategy in Reducing Early and Unsuccessful Ageing Cased at Njala Campus. Journal of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy,            13(1). https://doi.org/10.18376/jesp/2017/v13/i1/111270
  29. Kalra, S., Chawla, K., & Kapoor, N. (2023). Motivation and obesity care. Journal of Pakistan Medical             Association, 74(1), 182–184. https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma.24-04
  30.  Kandola, A., Lewis, G., Osborn, D., Stubbs, B., & Hayes, J. (2020). Depressive symptoms and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior throughout adolescence: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(3),262–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/s22150366(20)30034-1
  31. Kaya, E., & Yıldız, Ö. (2023). Physical Education and sports Teachers Perception of values and opinions on the values of physical education and sports course. International Journal of Science Culture and Sport. https://doi.org/10.14486/intjscs.2023.691
  32. Kei, W. S., Eiin, W. J., & Koon, P. B. (2023). Children’s attraction to physical activity and its relation to physical activity level. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Science, 30(6),    108–119. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2023.30.6.11
  33. Kępczyk, M., Kościołek, A., Kłak, I., Czekaj, O., Demianenko, Y., Kościołek, D., Misiak, J., Urbaś, M., Ojdana, M., & Surowiecka, K. (2024). Physical activity in type II diabetes. Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 54, 83–99. https://doi.org/10.12775/jehs.2024.54.007 
  34. Komariah, A., Fiana, M., & Ningsih, R. (2024). Motivation and independence in learning in nursing new students. Java Nursing Journal, 2(1), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.61716/jnj.v2i1.35
  35. Latino, F., & Tafuri, F. (2024). Physical activity and cognitive functioning. Medicinalithuania, 60(2), 216. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60020216 
  36. Li, X., Chen, J., & Fu, H. (2024). The roles of empathy and motivation in creativity in design thinking. International Journal of Technology and Design Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-023-09869-z 
  37. Maximova, S., Мандриков, В. Б., Neumoin, V. V., & Golubin, S. A. (2023). Physical education of students in the framework of inclusive education. Physical Education and University Sport, 2(4), 333–338. https://doi.org/10.18500/2782-4594-2023-2-4-333-338 Moreira-Morales, D. B., & García-Loor, M. I. (2024). Motivation in academic performance. International Research Journal of Management, IT and
  38. Social Sciences,11(1),      30–38. https://doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v11n1.2403 MSEd, K. C. (2023, May 3). Motivation: the driving force behind our actions. Verywell     Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-motivation2795378
  39.  Nedrud, C. (2024). Physical activity person with dementia. ResearchGate.
  40. Physical activity person with dementia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378033673
  41. Nishimura, T. (2024). A unique variance in future motivation for observed active behaviors on positive class participation beyond the effect of current motivation. Japanese Psychological          Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12497
  42.  Oliveira, P. A., Palma, Á. T., & Palma, J. a. V. (2024). Meaning and significance of the continued training of physical education teachers at the Londrina Municipal Education Bureau. Caderno Pedagógico, 21(2), e2625. https://doi.org/10.54033/cadpedv21n2-010
  43. Panaitescu, S., & Sandu, M. L. (2024). The relationship between perceived organizational support and workplace motivation. The Black Sea”
  44.             Journal of Psychology,14(4),418–427. https://doi.org/10.47577/bspsychology.bsjop. v14i4.288
  45.  Phelps, A., Mason, A. J., & Lucero, A. (2024). Credit hour analysis of the adapted
  46. Physical education courses in higher education. The Physical Educator, 81(1). https://doi.org/10.18666/tpe-2024-v81-i1-11349
  47.  Purcell, L. (2024). The importance of safe physical activity for all. British Journal of
  48. Sports Medicine, 58(4),177.https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024108082
  49.  Ref, O., Hu, S., Milyavsky, M., & Shapira, Z. (2024). Motivation and ability:
  50. Unpacking underperforming firms’ Risk-Taking. ResearchGate. Motivation_and Ability_Unpacking_Underperforming_Firms%27_Risk-Taking  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377847740
  51. Reisman, F., Keiser, L., Westphal, J., & Hammrich, P. L. (2024). Assessment of motivation. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009199193.007
  52.   Román-Mata, S. S., Puertas-Molero, P., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., & GonzálezValero, G. (2020). Benefits of Physical Activity and Its Associations with Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Psychological Distress in University Students from Southern Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4474. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124474
  53. Roychowdhury, D. (2023). Motivation in Physical Activity. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367198459-reprw219-1
  54.  Shibata, N. (2023). The correlation between language learning motivation and writing motivation.ResearchGate.TheCorrelationBetweenLanguageLearning_Motivation_and_Writing_Motivationhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/374846132
  55.  Stringer, K. (2024). Physical activity of the working population. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377411685_Physical_activit y_of_the_working_population
  56.  Striniqi, A. (2024). Muscles and physical activity; the importance of physical activity in the burning process of food calories; the culture of physical activity among students of middle school. International Journal of Clinical
  57. Medical Research, 2(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.61466/ijcmr2010005
  58. Su, W. (2023). Research on the Reform Path of Physical Education Teaching in Colleges and Universities from the Perspective of Physical Education
  59. Integration. Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(11), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.26689/jcer.v7i11.5587
  60. Sun, M., & Gu, Z. (2023). Research on the Innovation of Physical Education and Physical Education Teaching based on big data analysis. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/amns.2023.2.01626
  61.  Toussaint, N., Streppel, M. T., Mul, S., Balledux, M., Van Drongelen, K., Janssen, M., Fukkink, R., & Weijs, P. (2021). The effects of a preschool-based intervention for Early Childhood Education and Care teachers in promoting healthy eating and physical activity in young children: A cluster randomised controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0255023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255023
  62. Van Den Broeck, A., Howard, J. L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H., & Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analysis of Self-Determination Theory’s Multidimensional Conceptualization of Work Motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240–273. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866211006173
  63. Van Sluijs, E. M. F., Ekelund, U., Crochemore‐Silva, I., Guthold, R., Ha, A. S., Lubans, D. R., Oyeyemi, A. L., Ding, D., & Katzmarzyk, P. T. (2021). Physical activity behaviours in adolescence: current evidence and opportunities for intervention. The Lancet, 398(10298), 429–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01259-9
  64. Vansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 23(3), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032359
  65.  Veiga, F. H., Festas, I., Garcia, O., Oliveira, Í. M., Veiga, C. M., Martins, C., Covas, F., & Carvalho, N. (2021). Do students with immigrant and native parents perceive themselves as equally engaged in school during adolescence? Current Psychology,     42(14),11902–11916. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02480-2
  66. Wasserkampf, A., & Kleinert, J. (2015). Organismic integration as a dynamic process: a systematic review of empirical studies on change in behavioral regulations in exercise in adults. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 9(1), 65–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2015.1119873
  67.  Williams, R. A., Cooper, S. B., Dring, K. J., Hatch, L. M., Morris, J. G., Sun, F., & Nevill, M. E. (2022). Physical fitness, physical activity and adiposity: associations with risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognitive function across adolescence. BMC Pediatrics, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03118-3
  68. Yasin, R. T. (2023). Evaluating the administrative competencies of physical education supervisors in Nineveh Governorate from the point of view of physical education teachers. Sports Culture, 14(2), 78–93. https://doi.org/10.25130/sc.23.2.5
  69.  Yen, N. P., Van Ninh, L., & Huy, H. N. (2023). Solutions to improve the quality of physical education. Britain International for Linguistics, Arts and Education Journal, 5(3), 281–288. https://doi.org/10.33258/biolae.v5i3.1002 

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic