Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the motivation for physical activity in individuals with performance-based self-esteem (PBS) and to review differences between gender and age in these issues. The questions we want to study are “What motivates individuals with PBS for physical activity?”, “Are there differences in motivation for physical activity in individuals with low and high PBS?”, “Are there gender differences in motivation for physical activity in individuals? with low and high PBS?”, “Are there age differences in motivation for physical activity in individuals with low and high PBS?”, “Which group of individuals spend the most time on everyday exercise and physical exercise?”.
Method: We have used questionnaires from a study on brain health, conducted in 2018 at the School of Gymnastics and Sports, GIH. The questionnaires were measured on one occasion (cross-sectional study) where the test subjects were office employees at Intrum Justitia AB and ICA Gruppen AB in Stockholm. The participants were aged 21-61 years and consisted of 189 women and 70 men. Data is analyzed in the tool SPSS where we have developed variables in Descriptive statics to be able to analyze differences in averages between selected categories. With the help of Manova in SPSS, we produced mean value differences between PBS, gender, and age differences. We have studied the participants' motivation for physical activity, PBS, age difference, and physical activity levels. The questionnaires we studied have included four questions based on the participants' performance-based self-esteem, 14 questions regarding motivation for physical activity, and two questions regarding perceived current physical activity level, divided into everyday exercise and physical exercise. We produced the participants 'mean value in the PBS questions to estimate PBS levels (<3.5 = low PBS, ≥3.5 =high PBS) and divided the participants' ages in high and low based on the median age (<42 years= low age, ≥42 years= high age), before we analyzed the questionnaire responses.
Results: High PBS tends to contribute to increased levels of guilt prior to motivation physical activity than for those with lower PBS. The difference in PBS levels against the motivation questions gave us six statistically significant results. High PBS showed an increased proportion of shame (F=14.125, p<.01) and feelings of guilt (F=4.684, p<.01) in the absence of training. They also felt external pressure from relatives to exercise (F=10,733, p<.01) and exercise because others say they should (F=6,938, p<.01) to a greater extent than participants with low PBS. Elderly independent PBS have feelings of guilt in the absence of exercise (F=6,032, p<.01), are proud when they keep going (F=6,361, p<.01), and believe that they can only be proud when they are physically active (F=4,642, p<.05) to a greater extent than the younger ones. Younger people exercise because they think it is a nice activity (F=5,586, p<.01) slightly more than the older ones. Women exercise because it is part of their identity (F=6,477, p<.01), are proud when they keep going (F=3,922, p<.05), and believe that exercise is a fundamental part of who they are (F=3,943, p<.05) to a greater extent than men.
Young women with high PBS are the group that is mostly governed by controlled motivation regarding physical activity. Participants with high PBS regardless of age and gender are the ones who spend the most time on physical exercise and women regardless of age spend the most time on everyday exercise.