While motivation for physical activity (PA) and PA participation have been linked, research on the relationship between motivation for PA and mental health outcomes is scant, with studies involving children largely underrepresented. Grounded in self-determination theory, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether autonomous motivation versus external motivation (a form of controlled motivation) for PA is associated with fewer emotional and behavioural difficulties and higher levels of PA in children. A sample of 87 children (aged 8–12 years) were recruited from five primary schools in Victoria, Australia. An adapted version of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ) was used to measure motivation for PA and structured parent-report questions were used to assess moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels. Parents also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to measure children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties. Children’s autonomous motivation was associated with fewer emotional and behavioural difficulties (β = −0.25, p = 0.038) and higher levels of MVPA (β = 0.24, p = 0.014). These results indicate autonomous motivation is associated with improved mental health outcomes and higher levels of PA in children. Thus, PA interventions that promote autonomous motivation may enhance children’s mental health compared to interventions that promote mainly controlled forms of motivation.

中文翻译：

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对8-12岁儿童进行体育锻炼的动机与情绪和行为困难之间关系的初步调查：自主动机的作用。

虽然体育活动动机和PA参与动机已经联系在一起，但对PA动机与心理健康结果之间关系的研究很少，涉及儿童的研究在很大程度上没有得到很好的体现。这项横断面研究以自我决定理论为基础，旨在确定PA的自主动机与外部动机（一种受控动机的形式）是否与较少的情感和行为障碍以及儿童的PA水平较高相关。从澳大利亚维多利亚州的五所小学招募了87名儿童（8至12岁）。锻炼问卷中的行为调节（BREQ）的改编版用于测量PA的动机，结构化的父母报告问题用于评估中度至强壮的PA（MVPA）的水平。父母还完成了“长处和困难调查表”（SDQ），以测量孩子的情绪和行为困难。儿童的自主动机与较少的情绪和行为障碍相关（β = -0.25，p = 0.038）和更高水平的MVPA（β = 0.24，p = 0.014）。这些结果表明，自主动机与儿童心理健康状况改善和PA水平升高有关。因此，与主要促进受控形式的动机的干预相比，促进自主动机的PA干预可以增强儿童的心理健康。