Taru Lintunen

Teacher, peer and parent autonomy support in physical education and leisure-time physical activity: A trans-contextual model of motivation in four nations

An extended trans-contextual model of motivation for health-related physical activity was tested in samples from four nations. The model proposes a motivational sequence in which perceived autonomy support from teachers in a physical education (PE) context and from peers and parents in a leisure-time physical activity context predict autonomous motivation, intentions and physical activity behaviour in a leisure-time context. A three-wave prospective correlational design was employed. High-school pupils from Britain, Estonia, Finland and Hungary completed measures of perceived autonomy support from PE teachers, autonomous motivation in both contexts, perceived autonomy support from peers and parents, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intentions from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and measures of behaviour and past behaviour in a leisure-time context. Path-analyses controlling for past behaviour supported trans-contextual model hypotheses across all samples. Effects of perceived autonomy support from peers and parents on leisure-time autonomous motivation were small and inconsistent, while effects on TPB variables were stronger. There was a unique effect of perceived autonomy support from PE teachers on leisure-time autonomous motivation. Findings support the model, which provides an explanation of the processes by which perceived autonomy support from different sources affects health-related physical activity motivation across these contexts.

The continuity of physical activity – a retrospective and prospective study among older people

This study investigated the continuity of life‐span physical activity by examining the predictors of the maintenance of a high level of physical activity over 8 years among subjects aged 65–84 years at the baseline, in 1988, in Jyväskylä, Finland. Age, education, marital status and chronic conditions and past physical activity were studied at the baseline. In men and women, self‐reported competitive sport participation from as early as 10–19 years of age was a significant predictor for maintaining activity in old age. Also women’s participation in recreational sports at the age of 40–64 years predicted activity. We concluded that past physical activity is strongly connected to maintaining a high level of physical activity in old age regardless of chronic conditions that may develop.

Depressed mood and body mass index as predictors of muscle strength decline in old men.

OBJECTIVE: To study depressed mood as a predictor of strength decline within body weight categories over a 3‐year follow‐up period.

Life-course perspective for physical activity and sports participation

The purpose of this paper was to discuss physical activity and sports participation in a life-course framework, long-term tracking, determinants, and correlates of physical activity from childhood to old age, and present possible causal links and pathways for the continuity of physical activity. It seems that intensive participation in general in physical activity and sports, as well as participation at school age, are important predictors of adulthood participation. Especially, inactivity rather than activity tends to track from youth to adulthood. Socioeconomic status, place of residence, and personal upward social mobility are related to participation. If physical activity is at a low level in early adulthood, it does not easily become a part of life later on, particularly among blue-collar workers, women, and people with initially poor perceived health. Furthermore, in old age, earlier physical activity seems to be the key determinant along with gender. Repeated social reinforcement in the form of support for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is important especially in transition periods and life events such as secondary schooling, change in employment, and change in family structure. In contrast, retirement presented itself as a good chance of starting new leisure time activities. A life-course approach provides understanding on long-ranging developmental trajectories. According to these results in particular, the polarization of exercise to the active and inactive portions of the population is accumulated over time, and gender and social background features require special attention.

Predicting physical activity intentions using a goal perspectives approach: a study of Hungarian youth

Physical activity intentions were studied in 12‐ to 16‐year‐old Finnish girls (n= 186) and boys (n= 215). Theoretical predictions were used to establish a model that was then tested separately for each sex using path analysis. Firstly, it was hypothesised that malleable conceptions of the nature of sport ability positively influence enjoyment in physical activity and intentions to participate in physical activity, mediated by a task‐oriented achievement goal independent of variations in perceptions of competence. Secondly, it was hypothesised that fixed conceptions of the nature of ability decrease enjoyment in physical activity and intentions to participate, mediated by an ego‐oriented achievement goal and by perceived competence. The modified models were shown to fit the data. Overall, the results showed that 63% (boys) and 45% (girls) of the variance in intentions was explained by the model. The motivational importance of task orientation and. among the boys, perceived physical competence was confirmed with their direct prediction of intentions.

Customer‐oriented counseling for physical activity in older people: study protocol and selected baseline results of a randomized‐controlled trial (ISRCTN 07330512)

The objective of this study is to describe the rationale, design and selected baseline results of a 2‐year randomized‐controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of physical activity counseling in community‐living older people.

Can High Group Cohesion Be Harmful? A Case Study of a Junior Ice-Hockey Team

High group cohesion is considered to be beneficial and lead to better performance. This qualitative case study describes a case in which high social cohesion led to a deterioration in a teams performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between performance in a team sport and social psychological group phenomena such as cohesion, conformity, groupthink, and group polarization. The participants were members of a junior-league ice-hockey team, consisting of three adult coaches and 22 players aged 15 to 16 years. The data were derived from an interview with the main coach, continuous observation by the principal researcher, and a diary based on observations during one ice-hockey season. The Group Environment Questionnaire was used to assess group cohesion quantitatively. The qualitative data were analyzed by identifying themes that illuminated the research problem. In this study, the team did not perform as expected, and their performance deteriorated during the autumn. Social cohesion was high. In addition, the need to evaluate performance declined because of increased pressure to conform. Pressure to conform, groupthink, and group polarization increased owing to the high level of social cohesion which in turn was associated with the deterioration in the groups performance. Based on the findings it appears that high group cohesion may not always be beneficial to the team and does not necessarily lead to better performance in all situations.

The effect of advice by health care professionals on increasing physical activity of older people

The aim of this study was to investigate whether advice by health care professionals is associated with increased exercise activity in older people. As part of the Evergreen follow‐up study, self‐report data on exercise related advice were collected in 1996 and physical activity in 1988 and 1996 among 611 non‐institutional people initially aged 65–84 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the association of recollection of having received exercise counseling with increased activity. Of all the subjects, 92% reported having been in contact with health care professionals during the follow‐up period, and 58% of them recalled having been advised to exercise. Those men and women who recalled having received advice, started to participate in supervised exercise classes 5–6 times more often than those who did not recall being advised. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) in men was 6.27 (1.19–32.9), and in women 5.27 (1.97–14.1). For calisthenics at home, the corresponding figure was 12.5 (3.52–44.4) in men. We concluded that initiating new physical activities in old age is strongly connected to encouragement to exercise by health care professionals. Health care professionals should be supported to promote exercise among older patients.

Predicting alcohol consumption and binge drinking in company employees: An application of planned behaviour and self-determination theories

OBJECTIVES This study tested an integrated model of the psychosocial determinants of alcohol-related behaviour among company employees from four nations. A motivational sequence was proposed in which motivational orientations from self-determination theory influenced intentions to consume alcohol within guideline limits and alcohol-related behaviour via the mediation of the theory of planned behaviour variables of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (PBC). DESIGN A three-wave prospective design using self-reported psychological and behavioural measures. METHODS Company employees (N= 486, males = 225, females = 261; M age = 30.41, SD= 8.31) from four nations (Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and UK) completed measures of autonomous and controlled motivation from self-determination theory, attitudes, subjective norms, PBC, intentions from the theory of planned behaviour, and self-reported measures of past alcohol consumption and binge-drinking occasions at the first time point (time 1). Follow-up psychological and behavioural measures were taken one month later (time 2) and follow-up behavioural measures taken a further 2 months later (time 3). RESULTS Path analyses supported the motivational sequence with identified regulation (time 1), predicting intentions (time 1), and alcohol units consumed (time 2). The effects were indirect via the mediation of attitudes and PBC (time 1). A similar pattern of effects was found for the effect of time 2 psychological variables on time 3 units of alcohol consumed. There was little support for the effects of the psychological variables on binge-drinking behaviour. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide new information on the psychosocial determinants of alcohol behaviour in company employees and the processes involved. Results may provide impetus for the development of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption.

Underlying Factors in the Association between Depressed Mood and Mobility Limitation in Older People

Background: Depressed mood may either precede mobility limitation or follow from mobility limitation. Objective: To compare mood status among people with manifestmobility limitation, those with preclinical mobility limitation and those without mobility limitation and investigate factors explaining the association between depressed mood and mobility limitation. Design: Cross-sectional. Subjects: 645 community-living 75- to 81-year-old people. Methods: Depressed mood was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D, cut-off score 16); difficulty walking 500 m was assessed by self-report. Those reporting difficulty were categorised as having manifest mobility limitation. Those with no difficulty but reporting task modifications, such as reduced frequency of walking, were categorised as having preclinical mobility limitation. The association between depressed mood and mobility limitation was analysed using logistic regression analysis with gender, age, economic situation, the availability of a confidant, chronic conditions, and widespread pain as covariates. Results: Depressed mood was found in 34% of subjects with manifest mobility limitation, in 26% of those with preclinical mobility limitation, and in 13% of those without mobility limitation. The unadjusted odds ratio for depressed mood was 3.43 (95% CI 2.04–5.76) among subjects with manifest mobility limitation and 2.38 (95% CI 1.52–3.73) among those with preclinical mobility limitation, compared to those without mobility limitation.Adjustment forcovariates reduced the risks to 2.10 (95% CI 1.15–3.82) and 1.99 (95% CI 1.24–3.20), respectively. Widespread pain explained 28% of the increased risk of depressed mood among those with manifest mobility limitation. Conclusion: The dose-response relationship between depressed mood and mobility limitation suggests that both conditions may progress simultaneously and may share aetiology, at least in part. Pain may be an underlying factor in both depressed mood and mobility limitation.