Motivational profiles and exercise in late adolescents: a cross-sectional study of autonomy and behavioral engagement

Abstract Objective Physical inactivity among adolescents is a worldwide public health concern. This study investigated the psychological motivation of adolescent exercise and the mechanisms by which diverse motives translate into actual behavioral engagement. We aimed to provide evidence-based insights for health promotion through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Methods Participants were high school students (Grades 10 and 11) recruited from the Zhejiang-Chinese Youth Health Study, encompassing diverse geographical regions and varying socioeconomic backgrounds across Zhejiang Province. We employed exploratory factor analysis to identify the latent structure of exercise motivations among Chinese high school students. Cluster analysis was subsequently used to describe the multidimensional motivation profile for the participants. Finally, multiple regression analysis and ANOVA were conducted to examine the associations between those profiles, demographic factors (gender, parental education, family affluence, living with parents, and BMI) and actual exercise frequency. Results Three factors were contracted, including autonomous (e.g. enjoyment, socializing, health improvement), controlled (e.g. parental expectations) and appearance (e.g. body shaping). 483 high school students (41.2% male, 58.8% female) were classified into four clusters, which were autonomous-driven cluster ( n = 107), appearance-driven cluster ( n = 75), externally pressured cluster ( n = 110) and amotivated cluster ( n = 191). Gender ( P < 0.0001) and parents education level ( P = 0.0231) were significantly related to the participants’ cluster membership while family wealth was not ( P = 0.0810). Notably, participants who were in autonomous cluster reported higher exercise frequency than other clusters (MEAN=3.29, SD = 2.27) and was followed by externally pressured cluster (MEAN=2.38, SD = 2.12, P = 0.0158), amotivated cluster (MEAN=2.28, SD = 2.00, P = 0.0010) and finally the appearance-driven cluster (MEAN=2.19, SD = 1.89, P = 0.0028). Crucially, no statistical differences in exercise frequency were found between the externally pressured, appearance-driven and amotivated cluster, indicating that profiles lacking autonomous motivation were associated with lower levels of actual exercise. Conclusion Our findings suggested that mere needs (e.g. appearance anxiety or parental pressure) does not correspond to higher exercise frequency. Internalized and autonomous motivation serves as a robust correlate of adolescent exercises frequency. Future interventions should move beyond external pressure and prioritize gender sensitive, autonomy supportive strategies.