Body Mass Index Effects on Physical Activity Motivation Among Pre-Health Students

Many people understand participating in physical activity (PA) can provide both physical and psychological benefits, yet a plethora of individuals remain inactive. Understanding these factors could prove vital in development of improved intervention strategies. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and motivation to participate in PA among undergraduate pre-health students. Participants completed an online survey. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine variables: Motivation, PA, and BMI. Correlations and ANOVAs were used to assess associations and variable differences established at p < 0.05. Multiple significant associations and gender-based group differences were found which illustrate males being primarily driven by intrinsic motives, while female data suggests high motivational drive in both intrinsic and extrinsic areas. Furthermore, among BMI categories, those classified as ‘normal’ reported significantly higher levels of appearance and ‘obese’ categories reported significantly higher levels of fitness motivation. Findings illustrate how the impact of both gender and BMI on PA motivation is shifting from traditional understanding. While educated individuals may be more eager to participate in PA, they may still lack the knowledge of how to properly apply PA principles to daily life. This study controlled possible internal motivation variables by exploring those who understand the benefits of PA, which is absent in the literature. Previous research indicates that BMI inversely effects affective response to exercise, which reduces sustained PA participation, however, the solution to this may not be more literacy-based education.