International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kayla Baker

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Exercise Science, Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA
Interests: physical activity; exercise motivation; youth physical activity; outdoor recreation; mental toughness

Dr. Mark Schafer

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Exercise Science, Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA
Interests: exercise, physical activity, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiovascular health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the world today, more people are struggling with depression and decreased mental wellness, while levels of physical activity continue to decline. More traditional types of exercise, such as exercising in a gym or following along with an exercise video, may not incite strong adherence because of several factors, including redundancy of exercise, boredom, insecurities surrounding being in a gym, or lack of enjoyment during exercise. There is evidence to show that simply spending time outdoors can improve individuals’ overall mental wellbeing; however, combining exercising with being outdoors can improve physical activity levels while simultaneouly decreasing levels of depression and anxiety, as well as potentially impoving self-confidence. It is also extremely important to target the youth population for improving mental wellness and exercise enjoyment, as the habits built during childhood and adolescence will carry over into adulthood. In particular, engaging both children and adults in outdoor adventure sports, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, or hiking, may improve their love for exercise, as well as for nature and the outdoors. Manuscripts addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those involving the youth, outdoor adventure sports, and improving exercise enjoyment and mental wellness through outdoor exercise.

Dr. Kayla Baker
Dr. Mark Schafer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

outdoor exercise
outdoor adventure sports
green exercise
mental health
mental wellbeing
exercise motivations
outdoor physical activity
exercising in nature
youth exercise
youth physical activity

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing Physical Exercise through Action and Coping Planning

by Zhi Qiang Clement Wee and Denise Dillon

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 3883; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073883 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3676

Abstract

The intention-behaviour gap has been a barrier to health behavioural change. A total of 85 participants (aged 18–56 years) were recruited for a study that examined how two types of planning (Action and Coping) could bridge the intention-behaviour gap and increase physical exercise behaviours. The online study took place over two weeks, with participants completing pre- and post- measures of past exercise habits, intentions to exercise, subsequent physical exercise behaviours, intrinsic motivation levels, and engagement in action and coping planning. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that intentions, past exercise habits and action planning were significant predictors of change in physical exercise behaviours. Positive correlations were observed between participants’ past habits and their exercise behaviours during the study. 71.8% of participants met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended guidelines for physical activity at the end of the study compared to the initial 58.8%, which evidences a significant increase in participant physical exercise behaviours. Our findings revealed that while intentions are important predictors for behavioural change, cultivating habits to engage in regular exercise seems to outweigh the significance of intentions. Moreover, action planning could be a helpful intervention to bridge the intention-behaviour gap to increase overall physical exercise behaviours. In the long-term, this would improve an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing and potentially alleviate the costly burden on public health services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Motivational Aspects of Exercising Outdoors)

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10 pages, 763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Malay Version of Sports Motivation Scale-II

by Ngien-Siong Chin, Guo Chen Liew, Yee Cheng Kueh, Hairul Anuar Hashim, Vincent Tee and Garry Kuan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11694; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111694 - 7 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2197

Abstract

The 18-item Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-II) is one of the most-utilised scales measuring athletes’ motivation and its psychometric properties. However, we found no Malay version used to examine the Malaysian multi-ethnic population. Thus, the study aimed to translate and validate the SMS-II into the Malay version using confirmatory factor analysis. A total of 436 (16.44 ± 1.22) state athletes were asked to complete the SMS-II Malay version, which utilised the forward–backwards translation method. The results showed an acceptable fit with the data (CFI = 0.906, SRMR = 0.064; RMSEA = 0.056) and internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha value that exceeded 0.50, which supported its usage for the assessment of motivation among the multi-ethnic Malaysian athletes. The Cronbach’s alpha values of all the factors were satisfactory, except for introjected regulation. Thus, further studies are needed to improve the reliability of such factors. Nonetheless, the Malay version of SMS-II was found to be valid and reliable for assessing the level of motivation of the multi-ethnic Malaysian athletes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Motivational Aspects of Exercising Outdoors)

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