Development and Validation of a Self-Determination Theory-Based Measure of Motivation to Exercise and Diet in Children

Abstract

To develop and test the factorial structure of a new self-determination theory-based measure of behavioral regulation in children. Methods: Five hundred ninety 590 (F = 51.7%) children aged 7 to 11 years completed the Motivation to Exercise and Diet (MED-C) questionnaire, which comprises 16 items (eight for exercise and eight for diet) grouped into eight factors (five motivations and three needs). Psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency. Measurement invariance analyses were also performed to evaluate whether the factorial structure of the MED-C was equivalent for gender (male vs. female), age (≤9 vs. ≥10 years), and the perception of having at least one parent with overweight or obesity (yes vs. no). Results: Factorial analysis confirmed an acceptable factors solution for the MED-C and a good fit to the data for both the exercise and the diet subscales assessed independently. The maximal reliability coefficient revealed good reliability for the exercise and the diet subscales. Moreover, the MED-C factor structure was invariant across group comparisons. Discussion: Findings support the construct validity and reliability of the MED-C. Therefore, it represents the first validated instrument simultaneously measuring motivational regulation and psychological need satisfaction in the context of children's exercise and diet. Considering the goodness of these results, scale percentile ranks of the total score distribution as well as the z score and the T score were provided for clinical and research purposes. Conclusion: The MED-C might support the understanding of motivations and needs of children with weight problems and assist their process of behavioral change in primary and secondary prevention programs. Psychological factors represent, in fact, potential targets for interventions to increase children's motivation to exercise and diet.

The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Obesity and Eating Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Mapping Review

“…In this scenario, a supportive relationship with parents can help to buffer stressful experiences. Parents are often essential role models for eating behaviours and physical exercise aptitudes in children [ 1 , 3 ], and good parenting skills become particularly crucial during an early stage in life.…”

“…Childhood obesity and accompanied disordered eating attitudes and behaviours are some of the most significance health challenges of the twenty-first century [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Research has consistently revealed that childhood obesity and disordered eating attitudes are each associated with numerous physical health issues that track into adulthood, as well as the increased risk of developing eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) [ 4 ], during adolescence [ 5 ].…”

Assessing Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Heartland Forgiveness Scale

“…Model comparisons were performed to exclude factorial structures different than the original one (Milavic et al, 2019;Rossi and Mannarini, 2019;Pietrabissa et al, 2020a). Specifically, the following were tested: (A) a single-factor modelspecifying a single dimension called "Dispositional Forgiveness"; (B) a three-factor first-order model-specifying three simple first-order factors called "Self, Other, and Situation"; (C) a second-order model (hierarchical) with a general secondorder factor and three first-order factors respectively called "Dispositional Forgiveness, Self, Other, and Situation"; and (D) a second-order model (hierarchical) retracing the hypothesized original model without "positive" and "negative" valence factors (graphical representation of these models were reported in the Supplementary Material 1).…”

Psychological Differences Among Healthcare Workers of a Rehabilitation Institute During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Step Study

“…The item pool for the CPI-HP was developed using a three-step double-blind study procedure—already employed in other studies (Simpson et al, 2018 ; Milavic et al, 2019 ; Pietrabissa et al, 2020a , b ).…”