Exploring relationships between basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation and physical activity among transplant recipients

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among basic psychological need satisfaction, exercise motivation and health-enhancing physical activity as a test of self-determination theory with transplant recipients. Participants (N = 138; Mage= 48 years; 58% male), who were primarily heart, liver, lung, and kidney transplant recipients, completed scientifically-supported questionnaires. Controlling for transplant-specific factors (i.e., age at transplant, time waiting for transplant, and time since transplant), hierarchical regression analyses revealed that self-determined motivation was associated with physical activity and self-determined motivation partially mediated the relationship between psychological needs, specifically perceptions of competence, and physical activity (R2 = .25). Findings suggest basic psychological need satisfaction and exercise motivation have positive implications associated with health-enhancing physical activity among transplant recipients. %%%%Le but de cette etude etait de verifier les relations entre la satisfaction des besoins psychologiques de base, la motivation a l'exercice et l'activite physique en tant que test de la theorie de l'autodetermination chez les receveurs de greffes. Les participants (N=138; Mâge=48 ans; 58% mâle), principalement des receveurs de greffes du cœur, du foie, du poumon et du rein, ont remplis des questionnaires appuyes par la litterature scientifique. Sous le controle de facteurs specifiques a la transplantation (c.-a.-d. : l'âge au moment de la transplantation, le temps d'attente pour la transplantation et le temps ecoule depuis la transplantation), l'analyse de regression hierarchique a demontre que la motivation autodeterminee est associee a l'activite physique et qu'elle module partiellement la relation entre les besoins psychologiques, particulierement les perceptions des competences, et l'activite physique (R2=.25). Les resultats suggerent que la satisfaction des besoins psychologiques de base et la motivation pour l'activite physique entrainent des repercutions positives en ce qui a trait aux activites physiques favorables a la sante chez les receveurs de greffes.