Investigating the factors motivating the elderly to engage in physical activity: A qualitative study

Document Type : Original Article/Open Access/ Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Author

Department of physical education and sport sciences, Urmia Branch,, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors motivating the elderly to engage in physical activity, with an approach to increasing participation, based on the self-determination theory (SDT). The present study is a descriptive-survey study conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews. From among the elderly aged 65-75 in West Azerbaijan province, 20 people (10 women and 10 men) were initially selected as samples for qualitative interviews using a purposive sampling method. First, based on the theoretical foundations and background of the research, motivation components were prepared based on the theory of SDT. The content of the interviews was coded using the open coding method, axial categories, and selective codes. The results showed that: the intrinsic motivation factors included the components of enjoyment, recreation and entertainment, the value of physical activity, and interest in physical activity; integrated regulation factors included personal growth components, basic life values, main life purpose, and belief in physical activity; identified regulation factors included appearance and fitness, physical fitness, physical health, psychological well-being, and social well-being; introjected regulation factors included mental pressure, negative thoughts, and negative emotions; external regulation factors included significant others, health professionals, social recognition, sports facilities and spaces; and finally, amotivational factors included components of spending time with physical activity and physical activity without a goal. In general, it is suggested that in order to promote participation, in designing physical activity programs for the elderly, a set of intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivational factors should be considered.

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