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Healthcare
Special Issues
Effects of Self-Control and Motivation in Exercise and Physical Health
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Effects of Self-Control and Motivation in Exercise and Physical Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 868

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aimen Khacharem

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Laboratoire DeVisu, UVHC-University Polytechnic Hauts-de-France, CEDEX, 59313 Valenciennes, France
2. LIRTES-EA 7313, UPEC-Université Paris Est Créteil Val de Marne, 94000 Créteil, France
Interests: learning; motivation; digital video; pleasure; self-control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maintaining an active lifestyle is integral to enhancing both physical and mental health. Central to successful exercise regimes are self-control and motivation, which are vital for consistent progress. This Special Issue aims to explore the profound impact of these psychological factors on exercise and overall health outcomes. We invite original research and comprehensive reviews that assess the effects of self-control and motivation on exercise, and their influence on combined mental and physical health improvements. We seek to deepen our understanding of how these factors contribute to health and wellbeing and identify strategies to enhance them.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the impact of self-control and motivation on health and wellbeing.
  • Empirical studies (quantitative or qualitative) assessing the direct effects of motivation and self-control on physical and mental health.
  • Research exploring the relationship between self-control, motivation, and health enhancements over time.
  • Investigations into methods for fostering and maintaining motivation and self-control, including behavioral interventions or technological innovations.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Aimen Khacharem
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • self-control
  • self-regulation
  • motivation
  • exercise
  • wellbeing
  • physical and mental health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 496 KB  
Article
Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire for Children (BREQ-3C): Analysis of Psychometric Properties
by Raquel Pastor-Cisneros, Jorge Carlos-Vivas, José Francisco López-Gil and María Mendoza-Muñoz
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2197; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172197 - 2 Sep 2025
Viewed by 274
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In Spain, a high proportion of children do not meet the recommended daily levels of physical activity (PA), which highlights the urgent need to understand the motivational factors that could influence PA behavior. Self-Determination Theory is a widely used approach for assessing [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: In Spain, a high proportion of children do not meet the recommended daily levels of physical activity (PA), which highlights the urgent need to understand the motivational factors that could influence PA behavior. Self-Determination Theory is a widely used approach for assessing motivation toward exercise, employing instruments such as the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). However, despite the cognitive and linguistic differences that limit its direct application, this tool has not yet been adapted for children aged 6–12 years. This study aimed to adapt the BREQ-3 for use with Spanish schoolchildren and to evaluate its validity and reliability in this age group. Methods: The BREQ-3 for children (BREQ-3C) was linguistically and culturally adapted. Comprehension was tested through cognitive interviews, and reliability was assessed via a test–retest with 125 Spanish schoolchildren. Statistical analyses: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate validity and reliability. Results: CFA supported the factorial structure of the adapted BREQ-3 for primary schoolchildren, showing acceptable model fit indices (chi-square minimum discrepancy/degrees of freedom (CMIN/df) = 1.552, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.053, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.891, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.870). Internal consistency ranged from poor to excellent for all items and the total score of the questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha (α): 0.535 to 0.911), except for items 3, 13, 20, and 21, where the internal consistency was unacceptable. Test–retest reliability was generally satisfactory, with ICC values indicating fair to excellent temporal stability (ICC: 0.248 to 0.911). The measurement error indicators (standard error of measurement percentage (SEM%) and minimal detectable change percentage (MDC%)) varied widely, particularly for the less reliable items. Most item scores were not significantly different between the test and retest groups, although items 2, 3, 5, 9, 17, 19, and 20 were significantly different. Conclusions: The BREQ-3C has promising psychometric properties for assessing exercise motivation in children aged 6–12 years. This tool shows potential for use in research, education, and health interventions to understand and promote physical activity motivation in primary schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Self-Control and Motivation in Exercise and Physical Health)
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