The Role of Physical Education in Shaping Adolescents’ Students Beliefs Towards Healthy Nutrition

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the autonοmy supportive climate by the Physical Education (PE) teacher on the formation of intentions to adopt Ηealthy Εating (HE) in adolescent students and the mediating role of motivation. 301 students of 2nd and 3rd junior high school grade and 1st and 2nd senior high school grade of schools in Western Thessaloniki participated in the study. The students completed questionnaires to assess motivational climate, motivation in PE lessons, intention, attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms to participate in extracurricular physical activity (PΑ), motivation and intention towards healthy eating. The results of regression analysis showed that the provision of autonomy supportive motivational climate predicts intention to engage in HE in one and five years. Also, the results showed that intrinsic motivation in PE statistically significantly predicted HE intention at one year, but not at five years. Autonomous motivation for HE, is the variable that contributes to the prediction of intentions for HE at one and five years, while no statistically significant effect of intention to take physical activity on HE intention was found at one and five years. Finally, motivation in PE and for healthy eating mediated the effect of motivational climate on intention towards HE. The findings support the theoretical framework of the Trans-Contextual Model of Motivation and provide important insights into the role of the PE course in shaping perceptions of healthy behaviours.