Motivação para o exercício físico e orientação de vida em acadêmicos do curso de Educação Física de Manaus - AM

Abstract

The motivation associated with physical exercise in university students is a way to promote actions towards a healthy and physically active lifestyle. Life orientation can influence individuals' expectations about future events and also the behaviors adopted. In this sense, it is believed that the study of motivation for physical exercise and life guidance could contribute to special attention focused on the mental health of university students. Objective: To analyze the motivation for physical exercise and life orientation in students of the Degree in Physical Education in Manaus - AM. Methodology: This study is characterized as descriptive-correlational, with a quantitative approach. 113 students from the Physical Education Degree Course at a public university in Amazonas participated, 40 females and 73 males, with an average age of 21.35 (±4.30 years). An identification form, the Exercise Motivation Scale (EMI-2) and the Life Orientation Test (TOV) were used as instruments. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical package version 22.0, using p<0.05 in all analyses. Results: The most relevant results indicated that the main reasons for practicing physical exercise for university students in Manaus – AM include the search for improving physical condition and disease prevention, followed by the search for fun and well-being. Survey participants were moderately optimistic. The analyzes showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in the motivation to exercise among university students depending on gender for the dimensions “Affiliation” and “Competition”, with higher values presented by men. When making comparisons in relation to the length of experience in practicing physical exercise, a significant difference (p=0.047) was observed in the “Fun/well-being” dimension, indicating that students who have practiced exercise for more than 5 years present results superiors (Md=4.33), when compared to academics who have been exercising for less than 5 years (G1 n=53) (Md=4.08). A significant (p<0.001) positive and weak correlation (ρ=0.360) was identified between life orientation and the motivation dimension “Disease prevention”. Conclusion: Students on the Physical Education Degree Course in Manaus - AM are motivated to exercise, mainly due to extrinsic factors, and for males, competition and affiliation can be considered preponderant factors. Regarding the orientation of their behaviors, it was observed that the majority of students have an orientation considered moderate to positive for managing their attitudes