It is not just a matter of motivation: the role of self-control in promoting physical activity in older adults—a Bayesian mediation model

Camp, N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0972-9722, Vagnetti, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5192-1756, Penner, S, Ramos, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0222-8063, Hunter, K, Hough, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6970-5779 and Magistro, D ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2554-3701, 2024. It is not just a matter of motivation: the role of self-control in promoting physical activity in older adults—a Bayesian mediation model. Healthcare, 12 (16): 1663. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

This study aimed to understand how psychological factors affect regular exercise in older adults, hypothesising that trait self-control mediates the relationship between motivation types (intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation) and exercise time. In this cross-sectional study, 430 older adults (mean age = 68.8 ± 6.72) completed questionnaires regarding their perceived trait self-control, motivation towards leisure activities, and level of physical activity. A Bayesian mediation analysis was performed, controlling for demographics. We documented positive direct (c′ = 0.021, 95%CI [0.001, 0.043]) and indirect (ab = 0.028, 95%CI [0.014, 0.043]) effects of intrinsic motivation on exercise, a fully mediated indirect effect of extrinsic motivation on exercise (ab = 0.027, 95%CI [0.011, 0.046]), and negative direct (c′ = −0.281, 95%CI [−0.368, −0.194]) and indirect (ab = −0.161, 95%CI [−0.221, −0.105]) effects of amotivation on exercise. There was no direct association between extrinsic motivation and exercise (c′ = 0.013, 95% CI [−0.013, 0.037]). In conclusion, trait self-control mediates motivation to influence exercise behaviour in older adults. Intrinsically motivated individuals resist sedentary living and show higher self-control, while extrinsically motivated ones rely on self-control and are more susceptible to non-adherence during mental fatigue. High amotivation is linked to less exercise and reduced self-control, suggesting potential non-compliance with structured exercise interventions.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Healthcare
Creators:	Camp, N., Vagnetti, R., Penner, S., Ramos, C., Hunter, K., Hough, J. and Magistro, D.
Publisher:	MDPI AG
Date:	2024
Volume:	12
Number:	16
ISSN:	2227-9032
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.3390/healthcare12161663 DOI 2204173 Other
Rights:	© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	30 Aug 2024 15:26
Last Modified:	30 Aug 2024 15:26
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/52144

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