Development of Emotion Regulation Scale for Exercise in Older Adults and Its Association with Maintenance of Exercise Behavior

This study assessed validity and reliability of a newly-developed Emotion Regulation Scale for Exercise and explored its association with maintenance of exercise behavior by mediating positive emotions. We conducted a longitudinal online survey with two time points (baseline, 6 months) of 1133 exercisers aged 65–74. The survey items included the newly developed scale (addition of enjoyment, positive preparation, positive evaluation, and interpersonal relationships), positive emotions (affective attitude, intrinsic motivation), weekly exercise duration, and demographic factors. From the factor analyses, this study obtained a three-factor structure with nine items (positive evaluation, interpersonal relationships, and situation selection) for the newly-developed scale. Model fit, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability met the criteria for all three factors. Criterion-related validity showed values close to the established criteria. Longitudinal analyses by cross-lagged models showed that neither emotional attitude nor intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between emotion regulation of exercise and exercise behavior. This result suggests that emotion regulation of exercise may not promote maintenance of exercise behavior mediated by positive emotions.