Background/Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) includes domains related to physical and psychosocial functioning. Promoting HRQOL across all life stages is one of overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 (USDHHS, 2010). Although exercise has been effective in enhancing HRQOL of general adults, little is known about the influence of exercise motivation on college students' HRQOL. Guided by expectancy-value model (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) and self-determined theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), this study was designed to explore the influence of motivational constructs on college students' physical and psychosocial functions.
Method: Participants were 325 college students (195 female; 130 male; M age = 21.4 years) enrolled in physical activity classes in a southern university. They completed validated surveys assessing their perceptions of motivational constructs (expectancy-related beliefs, task values, self-determined motivation) and HRQOL.
Analysis/Results: Correlational analyses revealed a pattern of significant relationships among the study variables. Two hierarchical regression analyses indicated that expectancy-related beliefs and intrinsic motivation were positive predictors of physical function (R2 = 10.2%; β = .21, .12; all p < .05). For psychosocial function, expectancy-related beliefs emerged as a positive predictor, but introjected regulation and external regulation were negative predictors (R2 = 13.4%; β = .16, -.18; -.15; all p < .01).
Conclusions: The results indicated that enhancing both competence beliefs and intrinsic motivation are important when targeting college students' physical function. Additionally, low levels of self-determined motivation could negatively influence college students' psychosocial function. The findings have meaningful implications for practitioners to promote college students' HRQOL.