Relationship between reliance on physical exercise, motivational factors, and the sociodemographic characteristics of Brazilian swimming, cycling, and running athletes

• Published in: Journal of Physical Education and Sport 2024-02, Vol.24 (2), p.412-418
• Main Authors: da Cruz, Letícia Maria Cunha, de Oliveira, Lorran Faria, Neves, Clara Mockdece, Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abstinence; Addictions; Age; Anxiety Disorders; Athletes; Behavior Disorders; Bicycling; Body Composition; Body image; Body mass index; Data collection; Eating Disorders; Exercise; Family Structure; Gender; Incentives; Likert scale; Likert Scales; Marital status; Mental Disorders; Motivation; Persistence; Physical Activities; Physical fitness; Psychological Needs; Psychometrics; Questionnaires; Researchers; Running; Scientific Concepts; Self Concept; Self image; Social networks; Sociodemographics; Swimming; Validity
• ISSN: 2247-8051; 2247-806X
• DOI: 10.7752/jpes.2024.02050

Introduction: Exercise dependence (EXD) is defined as a compulsive engagement in physical activity. Motivation encompasses the psychological and physiological processes driving and sustaining human behavior. Objective: i) Investigate sociodemographic differences among Brazilian swimmers, cyclists, and runners, ii) Evaluate the prevalence of EXD and motivational factors within these athlete populations, iii) Explore the impact of EXD in relation to age, gender, and motivational aspects. Methods: A total of 290 Brazilian amateur and professional swimmers, cyclists, and runners completed sociodemographic questionnaires, the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R) to gauge EXD, and the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) to assess motivation. Participants were recruited through personalized online invitations sent by the researchers via the Internet. The Virtual Snowball data collection method was utilized to access electronic questionnaires through Google Forms. These questionnaires contained the research objectives, the participant's email, and the necessary consent forms. Additionally, the instrument's contents were made accessible through this platform. Results: Significant disparities were observed in athletes' characteristics, including gender, body mass index, age, marital status, weekly training volume and frequency, and daily training sessions. Brazilian athletes exhibited high levels of EXD compared to athletes in similar studies, with significant differences in the continuity and abstinence categories. Additionally, analysis of the relationship between sports motivation, age, gender, and EXD revealed significant correlations, underscoring the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, such as intrinsic regulation, experience, and introjected and external extrinsic regulation. Conclusion: This study identified complex relationships between EXD, motivation, and sociodemographic characteristics.