Association between Motivational Climate, Adherence to Mediterranean Diet, and Levels of Physical Activity in Physical Education Students

Abstract

Physical Education is an essential educational area to develop physical-healthy habits and motivational orientations, which are fundamental to guide the situation of future Physical Education teachers. These professionals will have a fundamental role in teaching different types of motivations, active lifestyles, and healthy habits in youths. For this reason, the objective of the study is to know the association between motivational climate, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), and the practice of physical activity in future Physical Education teachers. A cross-sectional and nonexperimental study was carried out using a single measurement within a single group. The sample consisted of 775 university students from the cities of Andalusia (Spain). Motivational climate was evaluated through the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2), levels of physical activity were evaluated through the adolescent version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-A), and level of adherence to the MD was assessed through Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED). On one hand, the healthy and self-improvement component promoted by physical activity favors an orientation focused on process and learning. Likewise, the competitive component is key to motivation focused on product and social recognition. In addition, future Physical Education teachers should pay special attention to the unequal recognition among members that physical activity can generate, in order to avoid personal disregard and social rejection. The ego climate is related to a high adherence to the MD. On the other hand, the future Physical Education teachers who manifest motivational processes based on fun and their own satisfaction have low levels of adherence to the MD.

Multidimensional Self-Concept Depending on Levels of Resilience and the Motivational Climate Directed towards Sport in Schoolchildren

“…This research aims to define the motivational climate and its relationship with self-concept and resilience in a sample of primary schoolchildren in fifth and sixth grade primary education. In general terms, the literature shows similar studies carried out on university students and adolescents in the field of physical sports activity [17,[47][48][49].…”

“…Girls obtain higher values than boys in the dimensions of cooperative learning and important role; this can be explained by social factors because boys relate the practice of physical activity with a sporting and competitive factor in relation to women who are oriented toward leisure and recreation in a more cooperative context [31,[54][55][56][57]. Following this line, the studies of Chacón or Cecchini, [49,58] showed higher parameters directed towards the ego climate in the male sex, a fact that attributes a different perception of abilities and competences according to gender.…”

“…The higher the value, the higher the level of resilience. The construct is composed of five factors: persistence-tenacity-self-efficacy (items: 10-12, 16, 17, 23-25); control under pressure (6,7,14,15,18,19,20); adaptability and support networks (1, 2, 4, 5, 8); control and purpose (13,21,22); and spirituality (3,9). Examination of internal consistency produced an acceptable value for Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.86) at a general level.…”

“…Given the benefits of physical sports practice, as well as its advantages as a playful and social medium, it is interesting to determine the motivational aspects that operate in the practice of sports in schoolchildren, since many other habits that will be repeated throughout adult life will depend on these [14][15][16]. There are several studies on motivation that qualify it as a substantial element in any type of learning [17,18]. According to this aspect, a motivated student will achieve more significant learning in the educational context, since his own goals will be the objectives to achieve [19].…”

Mediterranean Diet and physical activity in Romanian and Spanish university students - a comparative study

“…Also, the future teachers of Physical Education, who manifest motivational processes based on their own satisfaction and on the fun, have low levels of adherence to the MD. At the same time, the authors have noted that effort and personal improvement are directly associated with adherence to MD [32]. Additionally, another study conducted on 400 workers in Croatia showed that onethird of the participants were highly physically active and they adhered to the MD.…”