Motives for physical activity in the adoption and maintenance of physical activity in men with alcohol use disorders

Within the self-determination theory and the trans-theoretical model (stages of change) frameworks, we investigated motives for physical activity adoption and maintenance in men with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Fifty Ugandan patients completed the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3 (BREQ-3) to assess exercise motives, the Patient-centred Assessment and Counselling for Exercise (PACE) to determine stage of change and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The relationship between motives for physical activity and stage of change was investigated using ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffe tests. Multivariate analyses found significantly higher levels of introjected, identified and integrated motivation in the action and maintenance stage versus the pre-action stage. There were no differences in intrinsic motivation between the stages of change. Our results suggest that in order to adopt and maintain an active lifestyle the most important source of motivation comes from the benefits that may be obtained rather than from the inherent pleasure or challenge associated with it. The study provides a platform for future research to investigate the importance of autonomous motivation within physical activity interventions for people with AUD.