Motivational characteristics are influential in shaping adolescents' desire to persist in sport or to discontinue their sport participation. Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) was utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. This theory examines whether sustained participatory involvement, defined as continued participation in the sport through the next year, was influenced by individuals' self-determined motivation and by the fulfillment of the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Four hundred ninety two soccer players between the ages of 13 and 17 years comprised the sample. Results indicated sport dropout was explained by higher levels of amotivation, external regulation, and introjected regulation and by lower satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs. The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge base on sport dropout as they supported many of self-determination theory.

There has been growing interest in the use of smart wearable technology to promote physical activity (PA) behaviour change. However, little is known concerning PA patterns throughout an intervention or engagement with trackers. The objective of the study was to explore patterns of Fitbit-measured PA and wear-time over 24-weeks and their relationship to changes in Actigraph-derived moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Twenty-nine intervention participants (88%) from the wearable activity technology and action-planning (WATAAP) trial in colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors accepted a Fitbit friend request from the research team to permit monitoring of Fitbit activity. Daily steps and active minutes were recorded for each participant over the 12-week intervention and throughout the follow-up period to 24-weeks. Accelerometer (GT9X) derived MVPA was assessed at end of intervention (12-weeks) and end of follow-up (24-weeks). Fitbit wear-time over the 24-weeks of data was remarkably consistent, with median adherence score of 100% for all weeks. During the intervention, participants recorded a median 8006 steps/day. Daily step count was slightly increased through week-13 to week-24 with a median of 8191 steps/day (p = 0.039). Actigraph and Fitbit derived measures were highly correlated but demonstrated poor agreement overall. Fitbit measured activity was closest to MVPA measured using Freedson cut-points as no bias was observed. Step count was maintained throughout the trial displaying promise for the effectiveness of smart-wearable interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour beyond the intervention period. Further worthwhile work should compare more advanced smart-wearable technology with accelerometers in order to improve agreement and explore less resource-intensive methods to assess PA that could be scalable.

In Spain, the state of alarm declared on March 14, 2020 caused changes in the population in relation to the habits of physical activity and sports practice. This study analyzed what motivational variables predicted the self-efficacy and commitment to sports practice, as well as the differences according to gender, during lockdown and the progressive de-escalation caused by COVID-19, using the theory of self-determination as a theoretical framework. The study sample was conformed of 179 subjects (90 men and 89 women) between 18 and 65 years of age (M = 28.64; SD = 10.28). The Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ), the Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Scale (PNSE), the Physical Activity Self-Efficacy scale, and the Sport Commitment scale were applied. The most relevant results have showed significant differences in favor of the male gender in terms of levels of controlled motivation and amotivation, as well as higher levels of self-efficacy and basic psychological need of autonomy. Furthermore, the regression analysis has revealed that self-efficacy and current commitment to sports practice were explained by a variance of 57 and 64%, respectively, due to autonomous motivation and the basic psychological need of competence. Therefore, the basic psychological need of competence should be fostered in order to increase the levels of self-determined motivation, self-efficacy, and commitment to sports practice of the population.

This study sought to analyze the predictive power of supporting student autonomy in physical education classes on the intention to be physically active based on motivational variables. The Self-Determination Theory was used as a theoretical framework. The study sample comprised 922 students of both sexes, aged between 14 and 18 years old (M = 14.95, SD = 0.98). Several questionnaires were applied to analyze the measured variables. The results of the model of structural equations revealed that students’ perceived autonomy support positively and significantly predicted the satisfaction of the BPN (autonomy, competence and social relations). These, in turn, positively and significantly predicted autonomous motivation; and lastly, the most self-determined type of motivation positively and significantly predicted the intention to be physically active. This finding emphasizes the importance of establishing motivational strategies to support students’ autonomy via the satisfaction of psychological needs, enhancing autonomous motivation and, as a consequence, increasing students’ intention to practice physical activity.

The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the Flow State Scale (FSS; Jackson & Marsh, 1996). This instrument is used to assess the Flow State in participants of physical activity, although it can be adapted to other contexts (such as work, educational contexts, etc.). This construct can be considered the optimal psychological state to carry out an activity, being closely related to motivation and personal enjoyment (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). A sample of 2036 athletes was recruited from diverse sports activities. The results revealed satisfactory validity and internal consistency of the instrument, obtaining a factor model made up of a main factor and nine subscales. The correlations between motivational orientations and the flow state are highlighted. The Spanish translation of this instrument is found to be acceptable, with similar psychometric properties as the original scale, although future research in other contexts is needed to support these outcomes.

Breast cancer is a pathology suffered by millions of women worldwide, affecting the mental health, quality of life (QoL), physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and social and work life of surviving patients. Moreover, breast cancer is associated with weight gain, muscle atrophy, and weakness. Physical exercise appears to be an effective non-pharmacological treatment to improve short-term self-esteem, QoL, fatigue, and psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, happiness, and body image. The practice of physical activity is also associated with a reduction in the side effects of treatment. This bibliometric analysis analyzed the trend followed by publications on breast cancer and physical activity. The Web of Science database was used, and bibliometric laws were applied to identify the most prolific authors, the journals most involved in the field, and the countries, institutions, and keywords most used by the authors. Breast cancer and physical activity have an exponential trend in the number of publications, with Psycho-Oncology being the journal with the highest number of publications.