Author(s): HON, S., Institution: THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, Country: HONG KONG, Abstract-ID: 954

INTRODUCTION:
Exercise motivation has been a topic well researched in
the past, however, not many researches have been
conducted on the relationship among the exercise
motivation, mood and body image. The present study
examined whether a 13-week physical education class
will improve exercise motivation, mood and body image
of university students.
METHODS:
The participants in this study were enrolled in undergraduate
physical education classes at a university in Hong Kong. A total
of two hundred and twenty respondents were recruited in this study.
Measurement on Exercise Motivation Inventory 2 (EMI-2) and
Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS -2) and Mood Questionnaire
(The Positive and Negative Affect Scale) were used in the study.
Participants filled in the three instruments at the first class and the
last class. Data were analyzed at the significance level of p<.05
for one group pre-test and post-test of the data set.
RESULTS:
The Mann-Whitney showed significance at the p<.05 for the
Body Appreciation Scale-2 and the Mood Questionnaire. One
hundred and sixty students (16 ± 2.5 years; 1.50 ± 0.20 m;
45 ± 6.5 kg;) reported increased body appreciation (mean
value from 3.8 to 4.0) and one hundred and eighty students
reported positive mood (mean value from 3.9 to 4.3) after the
13-week class. The students reported to achieve health as the
most important exercise motivation. The majority students
desired to continue to do exercises in the future.
CONCLUSION:
This study suggests that a 13-week physical education
class showed increasing positive body image and
enhancing mood after participating in physical education
classes. Health was a very important concern of students
when choosing to exercise.
Physical Education class is important in the promotion
of physical health and mental health of students at university,
therefore, it is very important to include the
physical education class in the university curriculum.