Relationship between Healthy Habits and Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport among University Students: A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

(1) Background: Several studies have shown how certain types of motivation for sports can favour healthy habits or can cause risk behaviours. (2) Methods: The aim of this study was to establish and verify an explanatory model for motivational climate in sport which considers other possible influential variables related to health. This research was conducted with a sample of 490 university students from Spain. The 33-item Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2) was used to assess perceived motivational climate. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video Games (QERV), the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), and the KIDMED test were used to assess healthy habits; (3) Results: Findings revealed that task-involved climate and ego-involved climate were both positively associated with physical activity with the strongest relationship emerging for a task-involved climate. Furthermore, task climate was positively associated with a good adherence to a Mediterranean diet. A direct relationship was found between ego climate and alcohol intake and problematic use of video games; (4) Conclusions: The findings imply that students who have greater intrinsic motivation to participate in sport and perceive a task-involved climate also report healthier habits. This highlights the importance of creating task-involved motivational climates in sport and physical education lessons.

An Exploratory Model of Psychosocial Factors and Healthy Habits in University Students of Physical Education Depending on Gender

“…Furthermore, MD was not related to the motivational climate for both groups, and this relationship was deleted from the path model. These results are contrary to those obtained by Chacón et al [5] or Leyton et al [60]. This may be due to the fact that respondents follow a diet of good quality, since it influences sports performance and all participants are athletes.…”

“…In this way, an inverse association could be observed between the task-oriented climate and the ego-oriented climate, which acquired greater strength for women. Although these findings have been previously demonstrated given the greater tendency of women to position themselves for task-oriented motivational climates [31,56], it should be noted that in this research, a difference was not as pronounced as in others [5,57]. This is due to the fact that both sexes are academically and professionally engaged in sports, so their tendency towards competition is higher and shows elevated values in both ego climates.…”

“…In addition, a multi-group analysis is developed in order to compare the relationships between these variables according to the gender of the students with the aim to provide a view closer to reality. In this way, some researches of similar line are those developed by Chacón et al [5], Hardcastle et al [33], Varela-Mato et al [53], Ganasegeran et al [54] and Chacón-Cuberos et al [55]. …”

“…Thus, their association with healthy habits such as diet, physical activity or the absence of consumption of harmful substances, has gone unnoticed [2,3,4]. It is essential to study these variables in emerging adulthood, as they influence the lifestyle of young people and explain many of the negative behaviours that take place in this stage [5]. Therefore, the prevention and intervention of harmful behaviours, especially in those young people who will be future educators in the field of Physical Education, is a priority [6].…”

“…These motivational aspects will be determined by the strategies used by the different formative and socializing elements of the young people’s environment, such as teachers, coaches, parents or even friends [31]. Therefore, it is of vital importance to promote those guidelines that help to prevent unhealthy behaviours [5,32]. In fact, task-oriented motivational climates will relate to more positive and self-determined patterns of behaviour, while ego-oriented goals will be linked to extrinsic motivations and more negative behaviours [33].…”