Women’s Exercise Experiences in Women-Only Gyms in Turkey: An Examination Within the Framework of Self-Determination Theory

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pinar Öztürk ◽  
Canan Koca

Although a growing body of evidence emphasizes the benefits of physical activity and exercise participation, diverse cultural, social and religious factors prevent girls and women from participating in physical activity and exercise. Recently, women-only gyms have become an important factor in promoting women’s participation in exercise in nonwestern countries, such as Turkey. This study examines the factors that affect the experiences of women who participate in exercise in a women-only gym, in Turkey, by applying self-determination theory (SDT) with a gender perspective. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews with seventeen women and three women instructors and analyzed with thematic analysis. Identified themes are a) regulation of daily life: time of one’s own, b) structured exercise, and c) comfort of being in women-only environments. Findings show that women-only gym satisfies the three basic needs identified by SDT, and reproduce the relationship between exercise and femininity for women. This means that satisfaction of three needs, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, involves gendered meanings for women who exercise in women-only gyms.

Author(s):  
Meredith M Wekesser ◽  
Brandonn S Harris ◽  
Jody Langdon ◽  
Charles H Wilson

About 70% of youth athletes drop out of sport by age 13. Self-determination theory has been utilised to investigate athletes’ motivations for behaviours including sport persistence (i.e. continuation) and suggests that the coach can be an influence on such motivations. Basic need fulfillment via interpersonal coaching behaviours, the coach-athlete relationship (CAR), and intentions to continue sport participation have been examined independently and in various combinations and directions, but these variables have not been examined collectively in this manner. The purpose of this study was to determine if CAR quality mediates the relationship between interpersonal coaching behaviours and intentions to continue sport participation. Surveys were administered to 148 athletes ages 11 to 16 from organised sports teams. No significant indirect effects of mediation could be established. However, there was a significant and direct effect of competence-supportive behaviours on intentions ( β = .341, p < .001). Overall, the total effects model was significant ( F(1,146) = 18.762, p < .001, adjusted R2 = .114). Significant positive relationships were shown among supportive coach behaviours and CAR quality in addition to CAR quality and intentions. Negative relationships were demonstrated among thwarting coach behaviours and CAR quality. Results support that coaches’ competence-supportive behaviours can positively impact CAR quality and intentions to continue sport participation in youth athletes.


Author(s):  
Roberto Ferriz ◽  
Alejandro Jiménez-Loaisa ◽  
David González-Cutre ◽  
María Romero-Elías ◽  
Vicente J. Beltrán-Carrillo

Purpose: Adolescents’ and parents’ experiences within a multidimensional school-based physical activity intervention grounded on self-determination theory were explored. Method: Qualitative data from 29 adolescents (aged 15–17 years) and three parents on behalf of the total students’ families were collected via participant observation (research diary), semistructured interviews, and focus groups. Results: Adolescents perceived that the application of motivational strategies, based on self-determination theory, satisfied their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, favored self-determined motivation, and gave rise to adaptive consequences (improved physical activity knowledge, creation of affective bonds, and increased leisure-time physical activity). These results were supported by the information reported by the students’ parents. Discussion/Conclusions: The findings support the implementation of self-determination theory-based multidimensional interventions to promote adolescents’ physical activity participation. This study also presents several motivational strategies which could be useful for the design and implementation of future school-based physical activity interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-262
Author(s):  
Jia Rung Wu ◽  
Jessica Brooks ◽  
Fong Chan ◽  
Kanako Iwanaga ◽  
Nicole Ditchman ◽  
...  

BackgroundResearch evidence supports the assertion that healthy employees are happier and more productive. Employers prefer to hire healthy workers to reduce absenteeism. Rehabilitation counselors have started to explore health promotion interventions to help individuals with chronic health conditions and disability improve their physical and mental health as a strategy to increase their employment opportunities.PurposeThe present study evaluated a self-determination theory (SDT) model of physical activity and exercise in a sample of 218 individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain using structural equation modeling.ResultsThe SDT model fit the data well, accounting for 54% of the variance in physical activity and exercise. Relatedness was significantly associated with autonomous motivation for physical activity and exercise. Autonomous motivation was associated with competency. Competency was associated with physical activity and exercise. Autonomous motivation and competency mediated relatedness and physical activity and exercise.ImplicationsThis study contributes to an emerging body of theory-informed health promotion literature and identifies the specific pathways that will increase the motivation to engage in physical activity and exercise. Findings can be used to design and validate theory-driven health promotion interventions as an employment strategy for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain receiving vocational rehabilitation services.


Author(s):  
Julie Boiché ◽  
Mathieu Gourlan ◽  
Léna Rubin

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the increased benefits of a Self Determination Theory (SDT)-based motivational component on psychological needs’ fulfillment, self-determined motivation and Physical Activity (PA) of obese patients taking part in a rehabilitation program. Methods: Fourty-nine obese adults (mean age = 52 years, mean BMI = 38.25 kg/m2) attended a 3-week residential intervention. Patients in the Motivation group (n = 24) received a standard care plus SDT-based intervention (i.e., improved supervised PA sessions + a 1-hour motivational session). Patients in the Control group (n = 25) only benefited from standard care. Psychological needs and motivation were measured at baseline, at the end of the program and one month after. PA was measured at baseline and one month after the end of the program. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to compare the evolution of the variables between groups. Results: The results indicated that participants from both groups displayed significant changes in their perceived autonomy, relatedness, intrinsic motivation and integrated regulation between the beginning and the end of the program. Next, participants from both groups showed a decrease in perceived relatedness between the end of the program and one month after. Last, the participants from the Motivation group reported greater increase of their PA scores between the beginning of the program and one month after as compared to those in the Control group. Conclusions: Obesity interventions should integrate motivational components in order to promote behavior maintenance after programs have ended.


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