A growing number of studies have pulled from Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory to design interventions targeting health behavior change. More recently, researchers have begun using SDT to promote the adoption and maintenance of an active lifestyle. In this review, we aim to highlight how researchers and practitioners can draw from the SDT framework to develop, implement, and evaluate intervention efforts centered on increasing physical activity levels in different contexts and different populations. In the present paper, the rationale for using SDT to foster physical activity engagement is briefly reviewed before particular attention is given to three recent randomized controlled trials, the Canadian Physical Activity Counseling (PAC) Trial, the Empower trial from the UK, and the Portuguese PESO (Promotion of Health and Exercise in Obesity) trial, each of which focused on promoting physical activity behavior. The SDT-based intervention components, procedures, and participants are highlighted, and the key findings that have emanated from these three trials are presented. Lastly, we outline some of the limitations of the work conducted to date in this area and we acknowledge the challenges that arise when attempting to design, deliver, and test SDT-grounded interventions in the context of physical activity promotion.

Questions regarding psychological distress (question 46) were adapted from the CCHS-MH and are originally sourced from the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.[38] No special permissions were required for use of this instrument. Questions regarding positive mental health (question 45) were adapted from the CCHS-MH and are originally sourced from the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43, 207-222). No special permissions were required for use of this instrument. NOTE: The full survey questionnaire included questions regarding burnout that were adapted from the Maslach Burnout Inventory (questions 28-31) and used with express consent and under the appropriate licensing agreement with the copyright holders of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach, C., Jackson S.E., & Leiter, M. P. Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual. 3rd ed. 1996). These questions cannot be reproduced under the conditions of this instrument's licensing agreement and have, therefore, been removed from this questionnaire. For copies of the full questionnaire, please contact the authors. NOTE: The full survey questionnaire included questions regarding resilience that were adapted from the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (question 32) and used with express consent and under the appropriate licensing agreement with the copyright holders of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Davidson JRT, Connor KM. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale Manual. Unpublished 2014. Personal communication from the authors; Connor, K, & Davidson, J. Depression and Anxiety 2003 18:76-82). These questions cannot be reproduced under the conditions of this instrument's licensing agreement and have, therefore, been removed from this questionnaire. For copies of the full questionnaire, please contact the authors. Consent Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) & Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ) Health and Wellbeing SurveyDear Colleague, As a physician-in-training, you know that your own health is subject to factors and forces similar to those that impact your patients, and that you are not immune to stressors on your mental and physical health. Therefore, the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) and the Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ) are collecting new information on the health and behaviours of medical students studying undergraduate medicine at institutions across Canada, so that we can develop and advocate for programs to improve our health. The total approximate time for completion of this survey is 15 minutes.We ask that any student that has been significantly involved in the creation or piloting of this survey (i.e. CFMS and FMEQ Executive members) please do not complete this survey. As well, if you are currently on leave from your medical studies, and have been so for greater than four consecutive weeks, please do not complete this survey. By participating, you are verifying that you do not meet any ...

This study was set out to test if autonomous motivation mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and 12-month physical activity (PA) in adults with type 2 diabetes involved in a randomized exercise trial. Participants (n = 234) completed questionnaires measuring barrier self-efficacy at 3 months, autonomous motivation at 6 months, and PA at 12 months. A mediational analysis of longitudinal data revealed that autonomous motivation mediated the relationship between barrier-self-efficacy and PA. High barrier self-efficacy can therefore help predict 12-month PA in adults with type 2 diabetes, although this effect is attenuated by autonomous motivation. Hence, participating in PA for autonomous reasons such as by choice and/or for fun further explains PA at 12 months in this population. Results of this study extend our understanding of the motivational constructs involved in PA in the maintenance phase. This study has important theoretical implications in that it helps to organize and consolidate well-known correlates of PA by proposing a temporal relationship between them that could be tailored in interventions.

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a motivation metatheory that has received significant empirical support across several contexts of human behaviour. The motivational regulations as espoused by SDT refer to differing degrees of self-determination that individuals can demonstrate toward their behaviour. In particular, the regulations have received strong empirical support as predictors of exercise. However, literature in this domain has revealed inconsistent findings with respect to gender on levels of motivational regulations. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine differences between men and women on SDT's motivational regulations for exercise using studies that employed the Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire (E. Mullan, D. Markland, & D. K. Ingledew, 1997, A graded conceptualisation of self-determination in the regulation of exercise behaviour: Development of a measure using confirmatory factor analytic procedures. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 23,. A total of 27 studies contributed total effect sizes (Hedge's g) of gender differences, which were computed independently for each of the regulations, as well as for a composite self-determination score. Overall, results from random-effects models revealed near-zero effect sizes, thus representing negligible differences between men and women on each of the regulations. The findings with respect to SDT's fundamental principles of universality across genders are carefully interpreted in light of existing research of gender invariance and with suggestions for future work.

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There is evidence that affective experiences surrounding physical activity can contribute to the proper self-regulation of an active lifestyle. Motivation toward physical activity, as portrayed by self-determination theory, has been linked to positive affect, as has the intensity of physical activity, especially of a preferred nature. The purpose of this experimental study was to examine the interaction between situational motivation and intensity [i.e., ratings of perceived exertion (RPE)] in predicting changes in positive affect following an acute bout of preferred physical activity, namely, running. Fourty-one female runners engaged in a 30-minute self-paced treadmill run in a laboratory context. Situational motivation for running, pre- and post-running positive affect, and RPE were assessed via validated self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant interaction effect between RPE and introjection (P < .05) but not between RPE and identified regulation or intrinsic motivation. At low levels of introjection, the influence of RPE on the change in positive affect was considerable, with higher RPE ratings being associated with greater increases in positive affect. The implications of the findings in light of SDT principles as well as the potential contingencies between the regulations and RPE in predicting positive affect among women are discussed.

Background:Given trends toward studying positive mental health in the behavioral sciences, the concepts of vitality, well-being, and quality of life (QoL) have received significant attention. Unfortunately, interpreting their empirical findings and applications is difficult given a tendency to use these terms synonymously and/or without clear apriori definitions.Methods:This review presents an in-depth, critical examination of vitality, well-being, and QoL (especially health-related QoL) while paying particular attention to their similarities and differences. Given the proliferation of studies in the area of physical activity psychology, this review draws from a collection of knowledge in the physical activity domain to provide readers with concrete examples and to support arguments that are raised.Results:The narrative content is divided into 3 sections with critical appraisals of each: definitions and meaning, theoretical views, and research, the latter of which is further subdivided into measurement and findings. Several parallels and discrepancies between the constructs are brought forward.Conclusions:Important arguments, among others, include the precision or specificity of the definition of vitality compared with well-being and QoL, and the emergence of a spectrum along which these constructs can be aligned with regards to the breadth of internal and external experiences they capture.