Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Ioannis Athanailidis, Fotini Venetsanou, Dimitra Giannakidou, Elke Haberer, and Athanasios Laios
Correspondence: Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, University Campus, 69100 Komotini, Greece,
E-mail: dimpap@teikav.edu.gr
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine (a) the motives predicting the participation of Greek adult men in exercising and (b) biographical and demographical factors affecting them. The participants were 843 men (n=843) some of which exercised and some others did not, aged between 18 and 73 years. The Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 (EMI 2 -Markland & Ingledew, 1997) adjusted for the Greek population was used for the assessment of the exercise motives. The degree of participation in exercising, as well as the biographical characteristics of the participants were also determined. A line of statistical analyses revealed that the regular participation in exercising was anticipated only by the “Psychological” and “Interpersonal” factors. The previous experience as an official athlete was positively related to “Psychological” as well as to “Interpersonal” factors. Moreover, both exercising under the direction of a coach and exercising with beloved ones were also positively related. The results support the parallel orientation of physical education so much to sports as well as to health, with respect to the autonomy of the individuals.
Keywords:
Motivation to exercise, self-determination, EMI-2, Greek adult men
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