Physical inactivity continues to be a significant problem that adversely impacts adult health. An important construct to consider in researching adult physical activity adherence is motivation. Factors motivating participation in two types of physical activity, exercise and sport, have been compared; however, factors motivating participation in another type of physical activity, recreation, have often been left out of the comparison. The current study compared motivation to partake in physical activity among adults whose primary type of physical activity was exercise, sport, or recreation. Results indicate that participation motivation significantly varied among physical activity types (exercise, sport, and recreation). It was found that the participants who engaged in recreation as their primary form of physical activity and the participants who took part in exercise as their primary form of physical activity had motivations that were more similar to one another's than to those of the participants who use sport as their primary form of physical activity. Specifically, the findings suggest that participants who use exercise and recreation activities as their primary form of physical activity are motivated by more extrinsic constructs, compared to those who engage in sport as their primary form of physical activity. Findings provide insight that can be used to facilitate improved adherence to physical activity recommendations.

Background. Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) is a school health program implemented in southern Illinois that focuses on physical activity and nutrition and consists of a classroom curriculum, physical education framework, and cafeteria guidelines. Though many schools agreed to implement CATCH, some schools implemented it better than others. This study examined implementation practices of classroom and physical education teachers and cafeteria supervisors. Method. We surveyed 284 school employees at 36 elementary schools located in southern Illinois. Attention focused on organizational readiness, commitment to change, school leadership, implementation barriers, and innovation perceptions concerning degree of implementation of CATCH. Results. Organizational readiness and implementation barriers were significant predictors of degree of implementation for school employees. Additionally, organizational readiness was reported a significant predictor of classroom teacher degree of implementation whereas leadership was a significant predictor of degree of implementation by physical education teachers. Conclusion. Data from this study can be used to enhance implementation of CATCH as well as other school health programs. This study provides educators evidence of why school employees have different implementation practices, evidence of what constructs influence degree of implementation most, and some explanation of school employee degree of implementation.

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Previous research reports that children who are physically active are more likely to be active adults. The primary purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine participants’ high school sport type and compare current adult Body Mass Index (BMI) status, physical activity (PA) level, and motivation to exercise. Adults who participated in individual sports reported to have a significantly higher number of individuals in the normal BMI category (F = 16.25, p < 0.05). Participants who competed in individual sports while in high school reported to partake in significantly more days of vigorous physical activity as an adult (F = 5.7, p < .05). The two exercise motivation constructs competence (r = .361, p < .01) and relatedness (r = .219, p < .01) were found to be the most prominently associated with overall physical activity levels between both individual and team sport participants. There were more days of vigorous PA and more individuals in the normal BMI category who participated in individual sports. The current study does not neglect the importance of team sports, but suggests that schools and communities should consider offering more individual sports/activities and emphasize the acquisition of individual skills associated with lifelong activities.