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The research also aimed to test whether there were significant differences among the variables due to age, type of work, and marital status, as well as to clarify whether the women were engaged in physical activity or sports. Moreover, the research investigated whether there was a statistically significant correlation between Saudi women’s perceptions of their motivation to engage in physical activity and the challenges of engaging in physical activity at Taif University. This study used Self-determination theory as the theoretical framework for understanding motivation. A self-administered questionnaire was used for this research. The study’s total population consisted of 2,762 women. The results revealed that the female students and employees at Taif University were influenced by five motivations (psychological motives, fitness-related motives, health motives, athletic-inclination motives, and social motives). Psychological motives were the highest -ranked items for the motivation elements that inspire adult Saudi women to participate in physical activity (AP). Concerning the challenges with PA practices, the results confirmed that the physical and service obstacles were the major constraints of daily physical-activity practices. The study indicated that 30-40-year-old women were more motivated to practice regular physical activity than the other participants. More empirical study is needed to confirm, refute, or interpret the conclusions. Background Sport and physical activity (PA) are obviously important, not only for getting our bodies in shape but also for helping our brains to grow and work better. Recognizing the significance of sport, Saudi Vision 2030 ensures that sport is an important part of Saudi culture, raising awareness about the benefits to health and supporting women’s sport, which is considered one of value pillars of society’s (Saudi Vision, 2019). Women’s attitudes toward physical exercise in Saudi Arabia have been greatly affected by social and cultural standards. Saudi society is predominantly male-dominated, and women have been subjected to strict restrictions. As a result, women’s demands to take part in PA have long been disregarded, and several barriers have been put in their way. Males are often expected to participate in public life, whether for employment, sports, or social activities. Women, on the other hand, encounter cultural and societal barriers that limit their possibilities to participate fully in public life (Al Zahib & Baarimah, 2020 ). Furthermore, until 2019, women did not receive physical education or engage in sports in schools or colleges, nor were they taught the necessity of PA for health. Women’s PA and sports facilities and teams receive far less funding and support than men’s, perpetuating existing cultural standards and adding an additional structural obstacle to women’s PA (Aljehani et all., 2022). Therefore, in 2017, the Ministry of Education approved the creation of physical-education programmes for girls at public schools. Moreover, some Saudi institutions, such as Taif University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and the University of Jeddah, launched bachelor and diploma programmes for women in physical activity and sports science. Additionally, the government of Saudi Arabia created gyms for females in context of Saudi Vision2030, to increase the number of sports and physical activities available to women and to enhance women’s participation in and contribution to sport (Ministry of Sport, 2021 ). In reality, however, participation is low. For example, Al-Hazzaa ( 2018 ), Zaid ( 2019 ) and Alqahtani et al. ( 2021 ) showed that Saudi Arabia’s adult women were three times less active than the country’s men. The present study, conducted at Taif University, aimed to discover Saudi women’s perceptions about their motivation to engage in PA and the challenges they encountered. The research also aspired to test whether there were significant differences among the variables to age, position, and marital status. Theoretical Framework In this study, adult Saudi women were defined as women who were over 20 years old and were studying or working at Taif University. Most of these women were not taught sports or physical activities at their previous schools and did not study any sport as a class subject. Also, they did not have the opportunity or suitable environment for PA. Therefore, they may have had less awareness and faced more challenges than younger women who had engaged in PA at their schools. In order to participate in PA, adult women need to be motivated. The self-determination theory (SDT), which has been applied in a number of spheres of life, such as work, sport, health and education, is regarded as one of the most significant theories in understanding motivation. The theory focuses on three main psychological needs. When an individual’s job, life or environment meets these needs, he or she feels self-determination satisfaction, which aids in the formation of an autonomous desire to engage in self-developmental actions. These needs are autonomy, competence and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2000 ). Autonomy means that a person has the capacity for free will to engage in a particular conduct. The feeling of being forced or in control is the opposite. Competence is defined as the feeling of mastery and efficiency in one’s work. Relatedness is concerned with the need to feel connected to others and to have a sense of belonging (Deci & Ryan, 1987 ). The theory is based on two forms of motivation: internal and extrinsic motivation. Some individuals are driven by extrinsic factors (for example, people may want to lose weight because their company will pay them to do so), while others are motivated by intrinsic factors (for example, people may strive to lose weight because they want to excel in sport and enjoy eating healthily). (Ryan & Deci, 2000 ). Organismic integration theory (OIT) was conceived by Deci and Ryan as a sub-theory of SDT to explain the various ways extrinsically driven behavior is governed. According to SDT, extrinsic motivation takes four forms: external regulation, interjected regulation, identification, and integrated regulation (Gagné & Deci, 2005 ). Externally controlled behavior is the least autonomous since it is undertaken in response to an external demand or potential reward. Interjected regulation is more internalized and depends on activities performed to avoid guilt, anxiety, and humiliation, or to boost the ego and emotions of worth, or pride. Identification regulation is a more autonomously driven sort of extrinsic incentive. It entails intentionally appreciating a goal or guideline so that the activity is regarded as personally significant, such as exercising in order to lose weight. The most autonomous type of extrinsic incentive is integrated regulation. When laws are fully integrated with self, they become part of a person’s self-evaluations and attitudes about personal requirements. As a result, integrated motivations have characteristics with intrinsic motivation but are nonetheless categorized as extrinsic since the objectives sought are for reasons other than intrinsic enjoyment or interest in the work, such as when people exercise because they believe in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle (Deci, Olafsen, & Ryan, 2017 ). When applied to sports, the core idea of SDT is that individuals are self-motivated when they engage in an activity because it is associated with pleasure and satisfaction, and so they continue to practice for extended lengths of time. Individuals who are motivated by external reasons, such as seeking a reward or escaping punishment, are unlikely to stick with the activity for long. Despite this, the theory holds that exercise may constitute a behavioural habit, such that people who start exercising for external reasons will gain internal incentives over time as the external motives become associated with them (Ryan & Deci, 2002 ). Because this study focuses on motivation to engage in sport and PA, SDT was selected as the most appropriate means of analysis. Literature Review PA, define as “a health- enhancing behavior” (Al-Hazzaa, 2018 ), p. 50), has myriad benefits, including improved physical health (Malm et al., 2019), mental well-being (Caponnetto et al., 2021 ) and social connections (Coleman, Cox, and Roker, 2008 ). Despite these benefits, many women find it difficult to incorporate PA into their daily routines. Recent scientific studies suggest that women face significant barriers to PA, including personal (Koh et al., 2022 ), sociocultural and environmental barriers (Chaabane et al., 2021 ), lack of time (Koh et al., 2022 ), inadequate access to facilities (Almaqhawi, 2022 ) and the presence of physical limitations or health conditions (Manaf, 2013). However, motivation plays a crucial role in helping women overcome these barriers, and various solutions can be explored to foster this motivation, including social support, and access to convenient exercise facilities (Chaabane et al., 2021 ). Saudi Vision 2030 recognizes the importance of sports for women and aims to achieve health and sports awareness by supporting women’s sports. Among other initiatives, the government has established female-only gyms to spread awareness and increase Saudi women’s participation in and contribution to sport. Nevertheless, numerous studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle is common, especially among women. According to a recent study conducted by the General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia, only 13.2% of women met the recommended amount of PA (Al-Hazzaa, 2018 ). On the other hand, Baqutayan ( 2018 ) found that women’s participation in PA in Saudi Arabia was increasing significantly, from 46.1% in 2004 to 69.9% in 2016. It must be noted that Saudi women are predominantly Muslim and thus face unique challenges related to religious, societal and cultural barriers. Research suggests that cultural and religious beliefs play a significant role in shaping PA behaviours among Muslim women (Nakamura, 2002 ). Many Muslim women struggle with societal expectations, concerns about modesty, lack of female-only facilities and gender inequality (Al-Hazzaa, 2018 . In a study by Samara et al. ( 2015 ), females at a university in Riyadh reported that the lack of designated areas and low self-efficacy were the biggest barriers to PA. In a study conducted at the Western University of Saudi Arabia (Awadalla et al., 2014 ), students declared that the lack of location, time, social support, motivation, and sport skills were the biggest constraints on PA, which they insisted was essential for maintaining their health. Additionally, Almaqhawi ( 2022 ) identified lack of family support, transport and time constraints as barriers for women to engage in PA. Aljuraiban and Nawawi (2020) indicated that it is crucial to understand the cultural and religious values of Muslim women to develop tailored interventions to promote PA and provide culturally appropriate opportunities. Al-Raddadi et al. ( 2018 ) reported that Saudi adults engaged in PA for their health, to lose or maintain their weight, recreation and socialization. A study by Aljehani et al. ( 2022 ) with female university students in KAS concluded that barriers to participation included limited facilities, academic workload, gender roles and cultural standards, whereas facilitators included valuing positive results, general health concerns and family support. Almaqhawi ( 2022 ) explored the perceived barriers to and facilitators of PA among Saudi Arabian females living in the East Midlands, UK. The study found, like that of Aljehani et al. ( 2022 ), that the main barriers were societal and cultural norms, lack of facilities and time constraints, whereas facilitators were having friends or family members who were willing to participate in PA, having access to female-only facilities and the availability of supervised programmes. Clearly, cultural norms and societal factors play a significant role in women’s participation in PA in Saudi Arabia. Historically, participation has been limited by cultural and religious constraints. However, the situation is gradually evolving, and the government and other organizations have recently taken steps to promote and support women’s sports and PA. Despite this progress, cultural beliefs and societal norms are still significant, especially in traditional and conservative communities. Female-only facilities and supervised programmes have emerged as important solutions for removing cultural and religious barriers to women’s participation in PA. Female-only gyms and fitness centres have been established in various parts of Saudi Arabia to provide a safe and accepting environment in which women can exercise without compromising their privacy or religious beliefs. PA: Motivation and Challenges PA has been defined in various ways. Al-Hazzaa’s ( 2018 ) research described PA as ‘a health-enhancing behavior’ (p. 50). For Baceviciene and Alisauskas ( 2013 ), PA means ‘a beneficial health activity for younger and older adults’ (p. 689). Arslan, Kara and Arslan ( 2018 ) affirmed that PA ‘is as important as adequate and balanced nutrition for maintaining a healthy life’ (p. 102). Erdogan, Bozkurt and Tel ( 2021 ) explained that PA ‘is expressed as physical movements, such as walking, running, or eating, that individuals spend certain amounts of energy in everyday life’ (p. 194). Lipowski and Zaleski ( 2015 ) offered a more explicit definition of PA as ‘a bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles, and which requires energy expenditure’ (p. 48). Alqahtani et al. ( 2021 ) described PA as ‘any bodily movements produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure higher than the basal level’ (p. 232). Al-Zahib (2020) characterized PA as a ‘wide range of body movements that are generated by the skeletal muscles and utilize energy above the baseline level, including routine daily activities, exercise, and active sports’ (p. 38). Many studies in the scientific literature confirm that regular PA ameliorates health and psychological well-being while decreasing the risks of obesity, chronic diseases and cardiovascular disorders (Alqahtani et al., 2021 ; Warburton & Bredin, 2019 . Recent literature has focused not only on the general benefits of PA, but also on the consequences, including for mental health, of inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle, which has become a general phenomenon all over the world, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. In the last 30 years, many researchers have tried to discover why some people partake in PA while others do not. Interpersonal factors appear to be the major reason to adopt healthy daily behaviours. Hands et al. ( 2002 ) state that intrapersonal factors reside within the individual and can, essentially, include psychological and material factors. The authors also affirm that interpersonal factors are related to one’s relationships with others, as well as tangible or emotional support from the environment, family or friends or the lack of such support. Structural constraints in the environment include such things as a lack of locations and a dearth of low-cost facilities (Andrade et al., 2019 ). On the other hand, numerous studies explored the motivational determinants of PA practices among obese populations. Andrade et al. ( 2019 ) explained that, among Brazilian workers, the principal constraints on PA practices were ‘long working hours’ (60.3%), ‘family commitments’ (58.1%) and ‘housework’ (54.5%; p. 1). The authors also stated that inactivity is more related to intrapersonal factors, whereas, for active participants, the constraints were environmental and structural. Reichert et al. ( 2007 ) concluded that the biggest constraints on PA were fatigue and a lack of money. Kim and Cho ( 2015 ) confirmed this result with South Korean workers, finding that work conditions were the principal constraint on PA. In contrast, O’Connor and Temple ( 2005 ) drew attention to the influence of environmental and social factors. Concerning the motives for PA, Aaltonen et al. ( 2013 ) identified seven factors: mastery, physical fitness, the social aspect of PA, the psychological state, enjoyment, willingness to be fitter/look better than others and appearance. Aaltonen et al. ( 2013 ) examined adults’ motivation for PA, showing that environmental factors were the biggest cause of varying PA practices. Men and women reported that they engaged in PA for physical fitness, health maintenance and psychological well-being. PA in Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabia, a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more common. Al-Hazzaa ( 2018 ) stated that children and youth engaged in a minimal amount of PA when compared with the global average and that 84% of Saudi adolescents were inactive. A second study with adults (Al-Zalabani, Al-Hamdan, & Saeed, 2015) reported that women were less active than men. Al-Nozha et al. ( 2007 ) conducted a cross-sectional study among 30–70-year-old Saudi citizens. The study found that age, level of education and region were the biggest constraints on PA practices. The authors also found that the level of PA practices increased with age, especially for males, and decreased with higher education levels. Al-Gelban ( 2008 ) observed that PA intensity depended on health conditions, such as obesity or cardiovascular problems, which presented the biggest constraint on adopting healthy behaviour. Al-Raddadi et al. (2015) showed that Saudi adults practiced PA for health, losing or maintaining weight, recreation, and socialization. Al-Hazzaa et al. ( 2014 ) found that the biggest constraints on PA, in addition to the ones cited by Al-Raddadi et al. ( 2018 ), were poor knowledge about PA and the lack of places to do PA, especially for women. In addition, Al-Hazzaa et al. ( 2012 ) and Al-Eisa and Al-Sobayel ( 2012 ) were interested in Saudi women’s PA behaviour, finding that the biggest reasons for engaging in PA were to lose weight and to aid their health. However, they were deterred by a lack of time, motivation, self-confidence, space or facilities and knowledge. A study by Samara et al. ( 2015 ) among females at a university in Riyadh reported how the lack of designated PA areas and low self-efficacy were the biggest barriers to PA. In a study conducted at the Western University of Saudi (Awadalla et al., 2014 ), students declared that the lack of a location, time, social support, motivation, and sport skills were the biggest constraints on PA, but that PA was essential for maintaining good health. Methods Population and Sample Female learners, administrators and faculty members at Taif University were the main target of this research. The study’s total population consisted of 2,762 adult females (437 administrators, 1,100 graduate students and 1,225 faculty members). The investigation was conducted in November 2021 by means of a questionnaire distributed, via a link, through email and the university system. The study’s sample consisted of 706 adult females (95 administrators, 300 graduate students and 311 faculty members. See Table 1 for demographic data. Table 1 Adult Female Participants in the Study (by Age, Position and Marital Status) Number Percentage Age (years) Less than 30 280 39.7 30–40 322 45.6 > 40 104 14.7 Position Administrator 95 13.5 Graduate student 300 42.5 Faculty member 311 44.1 Marital status Single 302 42.8 Married 366 51.8 Divorced 38 5.4 Total Yes 706 100.0 Survey Instrument The survey instrument was a questionnaire developed in the English language. The survey was then translated into the Arabic language by expert translators to ensure comparability between the two languages. The survey was divided into three parts. The first part consisted of basic information (age, position, marital, and status). The second section consisted of two axes. The first axis, the motivation for PA, had five parts (social motives, psychological motives, health motives, fitness-related motives and athletic-inclination motives). The second axis, challenges to PA, had six parts (professional or educational challenges, physical and service challenges, health challenges, psychological challenges, societal/family challenges and lack of awareness). The five-point scale was as follows: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = undecided, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree. The English versions of the survey items for the motivations and challenges scale are included as Appendix A . Reliability and Validity The items were assessed by a panel of fourteen experts in the field of sport and PA. The panelists were informed about the purpose of the study and the meaning of each axis so that they could make any comments, recommendations or revisions to enhance the questionnaire, including comments on the clarity or ambiguity of the items, as well as how the items represented each axis. Following the panelists' evaluation and amendments to the questions, a pilot was conducted with 35 people with similar characteristics to the study’s participants to gain feedback on the questionnaire’s clarity and ease of comprehension. For motivators of PA, the correlation coefficient for each item with the entire questionnaire was 0.36–0.92, and between the items and each axis it was 0.39–0.95. For challenges to PA, the correlation coefficient for each item with the entire questionnaire was 0.37–0.73, and between the items and each axis it was 0.45–0.91. The results indicated an acceptable level for all correlation coefficients; therefore, no items were deleted. To examine the reliability of the motivation to PA axis, the test–retest method was applied to the exploratory sample twice, with a time difference of three weeks. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated both times (0.90–0.93). For the challenges of PA axis, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.91–0.93, indicating an appropriate stability coefficient for the survey questions. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to examine the instrument’s reliability. The alpha coefficient for the motivators of PA axis ranged from 0.76 to 0.91, and for the challenges of PA axis it ranged from 0.78 to 0.95, indicating an acceptable reliability level. Findings Research question 1 was: What motivates adult Saudi women to participate in PA at Taif University? To answer the question, the means and standard deviations for the motivation elements that influenced Saudi women at Taif University to engage in PA were determined. Psychological motives were the highest-ranked motivations. The mean for this axis was 4.37. Fitness-related motives were the second most important, with a mean of 4.19, while social motives, with a mean of 3.50, were ranked last. Overall, the total mean for the motivation elements was 4.04. As shown in Table 2 , the means ranged between 4.37 and 3.50. Table 2 Mean and Standard Deviation for the Five Motivation Elements for PA Rank # Motivation for PA Mean Std. D. Level 2 Psychological motives 4.37 0.678 1 4 Fitness-related motives 4.19 0.654 2 3 Health motives 4.07 0.563 3 5 Athletic-inclination motives 4.06 0.789 4 1 Social motives 3.50 0.707 5 Total score 4.04 0.503 Research question 2 was: What challenges are facing adult Saudi women who wish to engage in PA at Taif University? To answer the question, means and standard deviations were determined. The highest-ranked items relating to the challenges were physical and service obstacles. The mean for this axis was 3.55. Professional or educational challenges were the second most important obstacle to engagement in PA, with a mean of 2.74. Health challenges ranked last, with a mean of 1.93. Overall, the total mean for the PA scale was 2.65; the standard deviation was 0.529. As seen in Table 3 , the means ranged between 1.93 and 3.55. Table 3 Mean and Standard Deviation for the Six Challenges to PA Rank # Challenges for PA Mean Std. D. Level 2 Physical and service challenges 3.55 0.691 1 1 Professional or education challenges 2.74 0.977 2 5 Societal/family challenges 2.66 0.826 3 4 Psychological challenges 2.23 0.886 4 6 Lack of awareness 2.12 0.882 5 3 Health challenges 1.93 0.676 6 Total score 2.65 0.529 Research question 3 was: Is there a statistically significant difference, based on age, position, and marital status, for motivating adults to participate in PA as well as the challenges facing Taif University’s Saudi women to engage in PA? Mean and standard deviation for motivation, based on age, position, and marital status, are reported in Table 4. Mean and Standard Deviation for Motivation to Participate in PA Motivating axis Mean Std. D. N Age (years) Less than 30 3.92 0.554 280 30–40 4.14 0.441 322 > 40 4.07 0.472 104 Position Administrator 3.95 0.352 95 Graduate student 4.08 0.516 300 Faculty member 4.03 0.527 311 Marital status Single 3.97 0.562 302 Married 4.10 0.449 366 Divorced 4.10 0.450 38 To show the differences between arithmetic averages, a four-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. For the motivations axis, the four-way ANOVA showed no significant differences at the 0.05 level for marital status; the F-value results were 0.680, with a statistical significance of 0.507. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference for the variable relating to current engagement in PA or sport. The differences favoured people who were not engaging in PA or sport. The resulting F-value was 26.562, with a statistical significance of 0.000. There were also significant differences at the 0.05 level for the age and position variables. For the age variable, the F-value was 17.572, and the significance was 0.000. For the position variable, the F-value was 14.853, with a statistical significance of 0.000. As seen in Table 5 , a four-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference based on age, position and the current engagement in PA or sport variable. Table 5 Four-Way ANOVA Results Source Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Age (yesrs) 7.984 2 3.992 17.572 0.000 Position 6.749 2 3.374 14.853 0.000 Marital status .309 2 .154 .680 0.507 Do you engage in PA? 6.034 1 6.034 26.562 0.000 Error 158.577 698 .227 Total 178.721 705 To clarify the differences between arithmetic averages, Scheffé post-hoc comparisons were utilized. The post-hoc analysis showed the existence of significant differences at the 0.05 level between the age group for women who were under 30 and the age groups for women who were 30–40 and over 40. The differences favoured both the 30–40 and over 40 groups. For the position variable, Scheffé post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between the administrators and graduate students, favouring administrators. The results for the Scheffé post-hoc comparisons are reported in Table 6 . Table 6 Post-Hoc Comparison of the Results by Age and Position for the Motivation Axis Mean Less than 30 30–40 >40 Age (years) Less than 30 30–40 > 40 3.92 4.14 4.07 0.23* 0.15* 0.08 Mean Admin GS Faculty Position Administrator (Admin) 3.95 Graduate student (GS) 4.08 0.14* Faculty member (Faculty) 4.03 0.08 0.05 For the challenges to engaging in PA, mean and standard deviation, based on age, position, marital status and currently engaging in PA are reported in Table 7. Mean and Standard Deviation for Challenges to Participation in PA Challenges axis Mean Std. D. N Age (years) Less than 30 2.64 0.474 280 30–40 2.58 0.581 322 > 40 2.90 0.425 104 Position Administrator 2.80 0.452 95 Graduate student 2.59 0.528 300 Faculty member 2.66 0.543 311 Marital status Single 2.58 0.500 302 Married 2.72 0.552 366 Divorced 2.56 0.450 38 Engage in Yes 2.48 0.528 340 PA? No 2.81 0.478 366 For the challenges to engaging in PA, the four-way ANOVA showed no significant differences at the 0.05 level for marital status; the F-value results were 1.239, with a statistical significance of 0.290. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference for the variable relating to engaging in PA or sport. The resulting F-value was 74.000, with a statistical significance of 0.000. As seen in Table 8 , the four-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference based on age, position and the current engagement in PA or sport variable. Table 8 Summary of Four-Way ANOVA Source Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Age (years) 6.528 2 3.264 13.635 0.000 Position 3.219 2 1.610 6.724 0.001 Marital status .593 2 .297 1.239 0.290 Do you engage in PA? 17.714 1 17.714 74.000 0.000 Error 167.086 698 .239 Total 197.554 705 There were significant differences at the 0.05 level for the age and position variables. For the age variable, the F-value was 13.635, and the significance was 0.000. For the position variable, the F-value was 6.724, with a statistical significance of 0.000. To clarify the differences between arithmetic averages, Scheffé post-hoc comparisons were utilized. The post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences at the 0.05 level between the age group for women who were over 40 and the age groups for women under 30 and aged 30–40. The differences favoured the over 40 group. For the position variable, Scheffé post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between administrators and graduate students, favouring administrators. The results of the Scheffé post-hoc comparisons are reported in Table 9 . Table 9 Post-Hoc Comparison of the Results by Age and Position for the Challenges Mean Less than 30 30–40 > 40 Age (years) Less than 30 30–40 > 40 2.64 2.58 2.90 0.05 0.26* 0.31* Mean Admin GS Faculty work Administrators (Admin) 2.80 Graduate students (GS) 2.59 0.22* Faculty members (Faculty) 2.66 0.14 0.08 Discussion and Conclusion The present study, which took place at Taif University, investigated Saudi women’s motivation for regular PA and the challenges they face in wishing to engage in PA. The results revealed that the women surveyed were influenced by six motivations, the psychological and fitness motives being the two most cited. This result was in agreement with Hands et al. ( 2002 ), who revealed that intrapersonal factors, being psychological and material in character, were the principal motives. Aaltonen et al.’s ( 2013 ) research demonstrated that men and women practice PA for fitness, health maintenance and psychological well-being. In the study of Knowles et al. ( 2012 ), some adults were found to be responsive to internal motivation, whereas others utilized external motivation to engage in an activity, although more internal motivation was the strongest incentive to action. Pintrich, Schunk and Meece ( 2007 ) observed that individuals with intrinsic motivation did an activity for its own sake: ‘People who are intrinsically motivated work on tasks because they find them enjoyable. Task motivation is its own reward and doesn’t depend on explicit rewards or other external constraints’ (p. 257). Individuals are self-motivated when they participate in an activity because it is connected with pleasure and satisfaction, and, as a result, they continue to practice it for extended lengths of time. Individuals driven by external factors, such as seeking to gain a reward or to avoid punishment, are unlikely to persist with an activity for long. Nevertheless, there is evidence that exercise may become a behavioural habit and that people who begin exercising for external reasons will acquire internal motivations when the external causes become connected with themselves (Ryan & Deci, 2002 ). Health, an inclination towards athleticism and social motives were cited less than the first two factors. This finding did not support Saudi studies that affirmed that weight loss and health were the primary reasons to practice PA (Al-Eisa & Al-Sobaeyel, 2012; Al-Hazzaa et al., 2012 ). This may be due to the demographic and cultural specificity of Taif, which is a growing city and differs from other Saudi Arabia regions, such as Riyadh or Jeddah. Second, the study participants (students and personnel at Taif University) were selected from the same sociocultural context, unlike other studies, which drew people with various family, culture, age and gender backgrounds. Concerning the challenges to practising PA, the results confirmed that the physical and service obstacles were the major constraints on daily PA. This finding was consistent with the results of previous studies (Al-Hazzaa et al., 2014 ; Andrade et al., 2019 ; Samara et al., 2015 ). This outcome suggested that participants did not consider that they had any psychological or health problems to practice PA; at the same time, there were not enough public facilities, programmatic interventions and services or sport clubs to engage in daily PA. However, other Saudi studies (Al-Eisa & Al-Sobayel, 2012 ; Al-Hazzaa et al., 2012 , 2014 ) indicated that poor knowledge about PA, as well as a lack of time, motivation and self-confidence, were the major barriers to engaging in PA. Further research, with larger sample sizes and adjustment of potential challenges to PA practices in agreement with other studies, is necessary to confirm these results in the Saudi population. The present study’s third research question focused on whether demographic variables would affect motivation to engage in PA. Interestingly, the results illustrated that 30–40-year-old women were more motivated to engage regularly PA than the other participants. This finding suggested that Saudi women who had completed their studies and were in work were more motivated than younger or older women. Regarding challenges, women who were over 40 years old and worked in administration seemed to experience fewer constraints. These results agreed with the work of Trost et al. ( 2002 ), which indicated that age and the level of education influenced motivation for PA. Nevertheless, Trost et al. pointed out the positive correlation between PA practices and marital status, noting that married people had less motivation to practice PA. Among Saudi adults, the motivation and challenges regarding PA appeared to be negatively affected by age (Al-Zalabani et al., 2015 ). It can, therefore, be argued that sociodemographic variables have a beneficial or negative effect on the motivations and challenges, but in the present study, age and position were found to be determinants of PA practices. The differences between the findings of this study and of other research may be attributable to the number of cross-sectional studies, including those relating to different cities in Saudi Arabia (rural areas, the capital, big cities, small regions, etc.), which creates some variance in the results. These findings should be closely examined with a large population in Saudi Arabia, including all possible demographic variables (male/female, student/worker and single/ married). Moreover, daily activity demands intense physical effort, which needs to be matched by such psychological qualities as mental strength, motivation and self-determination. This study found that adult women at Taif University practised PA based on their psychological motivation and fitness objective, the former being increased by the latter. Age and position were also factors in motivation. The principal challenges to engaging in PA were physical and service obstacles. The study highlights the absence of previous research related to the correlation between motives and challenges. Further empirical research is required to clarify, confirm, or deny or elucidate the conclusions. Declarations Human Ethics and Consent to Participate declarations: not applicable. Please provide a Consent to Participate declaration in the manuscript: The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Taif university. N (HAO-02-T-105). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Taif university. N (HAO-02-T-105). Informed consent was obtained from all participants and/or their legal guardians. The Email Address of the Corresponding Author in the manuscript: The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The authors declare no competing interests: Funding: The research was funding by Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia, Project No. (Tu-DSPP-2024-313). Acknowledgments: The authors extend their appreciation to Taif University, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work through Project number (Tu-DSPP-2024-313) “Corresponding author: Sarah M. Alajlan”. Email Address( [email protected] ) References Aaltonen, S., Ortega-Alonso, A., Kujala, U. M., & Kaprio, J. (2013). Genetic and environmental influences on longitudinal changes in leisure-time physical activity from adolescence to young adulthood. Twin Research and Human Genetics , 16 (2), 535-543. Al Zahib, Y. H., & Baarimah, H. (2020). Physical activity profile among Saudi adults in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. Middle East Journal of Family Medicine , 7 (10), 37-45. Al-Eisa, E. S., & Al-Sobayel, H. I. (2012). Physical Activity and Health Beliefs among Saudi Women. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2012, 642187. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/642187 Al-Gelban, K. S. (2008). Dietary habits and exercise practices among the students of a Saudi Teachers' Training College. 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The “What” and “Why” of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11 (4), 227-268. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (Eds.). (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. University of Rochester Press. Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations: The State of a Science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4 (1), 19–43. Erdogan, R., Bozkurt, E., & Tel, M. (2021). Investigation of Healthy Life and Physical Activity Levels of Prospective Teachers. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences , 13 (1). Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26 (4), 331–362. https://doi-org.sdl.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/job.322 Hands, B. P., Parker, H., & Larkin, D. (2002). What do we really know about the constraints and enablers of physical activity levels in young children? Paper presented at the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc (ACHPER), 23rd Biennial National/International Conference: Interactive Health & Physical Education. Launceston, TAS, 3-5 July 2002. Kim, C., & Cho, Y. (2015). Working conditions and leisure-time physical activity among waged workers in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Occupational Health, 57 (3), 259-267. Knowles, M.S, Holton, E., & Swanson, R. (2012). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (7th Ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Koh, Y.S., Asharani, P.V., Devi, F., Roystonn, K., Wang, P., Vaingankar, J.A., Abdin, E., Sum, C.F., Lee, E.S., Müller-Riemenschneider, F. and Chong, S.A. (2022). A cross-sectional study on the perceived barriers to physical activity and their associations with domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour. BMC Public Health , 22 (1), 1-11. Lipowski, M., & Zaleski, Z. (2015). Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives: A new method of measuring motives for physical activity and sport. Health Psycholog. Report , 3 (1), 47-58. Ministry of Sport. (2021). About ministry . About Us (mos.gov.sa). Nakamura, Y. (2002). Beyond the hijab: Female Muslims and physical activity. Women in sport and physical activity Journal , 11 (2), 21-48. O’Connor, J. P., & Temple, V. A. (2005). Constraints and facilitators for physical activity in family day care. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood , 30 (4), 1-9. Pintrich, P. R., Schunk, D. H., & Meece, J. L. (2007). Motivation in education: Theory, research, and applications (3rd ed). Pearson Education. Reichert, F. F., Barros, A. J., Domingues, M. R., & Hallal, P. C. (2007). The role of perceived personal barriers to engagement in leisure-time physical activity. American Journal of Public Health , 97 (3), 515-519. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25 (1), 54–67. Samara, A., Nistrup, A., Al-Rammah, T. Y., & Aro, A. R. (2015). Lack of facilities rather than sociocultural factors as the primary barrier to physical activity among female Saudi university students. International Journal of Women's Health , 7 , 279. Saudi Vision 2030 (2019). An ambitious nation . https:// vision2030.gov.sa/en/themes/4 Trost, S. G., Owen, N., Bauman, A. E., Sallis, J. F., & Brown, W. (2002). Correlates of adults’ participation in physical activity: review and update. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 34 (12), 1996-2001. Warburton, D. E. R., & Bredin, S. S. D. (2019). Health Benefits of Physical Activity: A Strengths-Based Approach. Journal of clinical medicine, 8 (12), 2044. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8122044 Zaid, Z. A. (2019). The level of physical activity and nutritional awareness among students of the preparatory year at the University of Jeddah. Journal of Sports Science Applications, 100 , 99-111. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files AppendixA.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Dec, 2024 Read the published version in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Sep, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 12 Sep, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 12 Sep, 2024 First submitted to journal 01 Sep, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5013878","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":355150188,"identity":"b4a5ce19-5ad3-448e-b92d-8eaf3f4d308a","order_by":0,"name":"Sarah Alajlan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgbmBwwGNglgTkIBMVrYGdgMGArSEhjYQFoMiNHCz8AgwfDhMEQLAzFa5JvZHxj+MDifxy/fnfjhgQGDPL/YAfxaDA7zGDzmMbhdLNnGu1kC6DDDmbMTCGhh5mEwZjC4nbjhGO8GkJYEg9sEtIAcJvnD4BxIy+YfRGlhOMxgIMFjcACkZRtxtgD9YmbMY5CcOLMtd5tFgoEEYb/I9x9//PDHH7vEfuazm2/+qLCR55cm5DA0IEGa8lEwCkbBKBgF2AEApAxALvPONfIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Taif University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sarah","middleName":"","lastName":"Alajlan","suffix":""},{"id":355150189,"identity":"b3b351bd-0248-414c-8a14-71145d4f0246","order_by":1,"name":"obaidalah ALJOHANI","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Taif University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"obaidalah","middleName":"","lastName":"ALJOHANI","suffix":""},{"id":355150190,"identity":"9efdfd7c-ce89-45fd-98d7-d12ef91c4370","order_by":2,"name":"Wissal Boughattas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Taif University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wissal","middleName":"","lastName":"Boughattas","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-09-01 16:54:50","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5013878/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5013878/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-01030-0","type":"published","date":"2024-12-20T15:57:31+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":72202032,"identity":"7539a694-5988-449a-9c4c-3036124e487d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-12-23 16:13:48","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":709359,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5013878/v1/86b6cd91-3c0e-4c28-8051-a11b0a1336ad.pdf"},{"id":69511467,"identity":"84109c10-7ca9-4d81-ae9b-f0524509e6db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-11-21 07:28:47","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":19306,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AppendixA.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5013878/v1/0b1053464553da999ce68e87.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Exploring Motivation and Barriers to Physical Activity among Adults Saudi Women","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eSport and physical activity (PA) are obviously important, not only for getting our bodies in shape but also for helping our brains to grow and work better. Recognizing the significance of sport, Saudi Vision 2030 ensures that sport is an important part of Saudi culture, raising awareness about the benefits to health and supporting women\u0026rsquo;s sport, which is considered one of value pillars of society\u0026rsquo;s (Saudi Vision, 2019). Women\u0026rsquo;s attitudes toward physical exercise in Saudi Arabia have been greatly affected by social and cultural standards. Saudi society is predominantly male-dominated, and women have been subjected to strict restrictions. As a result, women\u0026rsquo;s demands to take part in PA have long been disregarded, and several barriers have been put in their way. Males are often expected to participate in public life, whether for employment, sports, or social activities. Women, on the other hand, encounter cultural and societal barriers that limit their possibilities to participate fully in public life (Al Zahib \u0026amp; Baarimah, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, until 2019, women did not receive physical education or engage in sports in schools or colleges, nor were they taught the necessity of PA for health. Women\u0026rsquo;s PA and sports facilities and teams receive far less funding and support than men\u0026rsquo;s, perpetuating existing cultural standards and adding an additional structural obstacle to women\u0026rsquo;s PA (Aljehani et all., 2022). Therefore, in 2017, the Ministry of Education approved the creation of physical-education programmes for girls at public schools. Moreover, some Saudi institutions, such as Taif University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and the University of Jeddah, launched bachelor and diploma programmes for women in physical activity and sports science. Additionally, the government of Saudi Arabia created gyms for females in context of Saudi Vision2030, to increase the number of sports and physical activities available to women and to enhance women\u0026rsquo;s participation in and contribution to sport (Ministry of Sport, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn reality, however, participation is low. For example, Al-Hazzaa (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), Zaid (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) and Alqahtani et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) showed that Saudi Arabia\u0026rsquo;s adult women were three times less active than the country\u0026rsquo;s men. The present study, conducted at Taif University, aimed to discover Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s perceptions about their motivation to engage in PA and the challenges they encountered. The research also aspired to test whether there were significant differences among the variables to age, position, and marital status.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Theoretical Framework","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, adult Saudi women were defined as women who were over 20 years old and were studying or working at Taif University. Most of these women were not taught sports or physical activities at their previous schools and did not study any sport as a class subject. Also, they did not have the opportunity or suitable environment for PA. Therefore, they may have had less awareness and faced more challenges than younger women who had engaged in PA at their schools. In order to participate in PA, adult women need to be motivated. The self-determination theory (SDT), which has been applied in a number of spheres of life, such as work, sport, health and education, is regarded as one of the most significant theories in understanding motivation. The theory focuses on three main psychological needs. When an individual\u0026rsquo;s job, life or environment meets these needs, he or she feels self-determination satisfaction, which aids in the formation of an autonomous desire to engage in self-developmental actions. These needs are autonomy, competence and relatedness (Deci \u0026amp; Ryan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). Autonomy means that a person has the capacity for free will to engage in a particular conduct. The feeling of being forced or in control is the opposite. Competence is defined as the feeling of mastery and efficiency in one\u0026rsquo;s work. Relatedness is concerned with the need to feel connected to others and to have a sense of belonging (Deci \u0026amp; Ryan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe theory is based on two forms of motivation: internal and extrinsic motivation. Some individuals are driven by extrinsic factors (for example, people may want to lose weight because their company will pay them to do so), while others are motivated by intrinsic factors (for example, people may strive to lose weight because they want to excel in sport and enjoy eating healthily). (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrganismic integration theory (OIT) was conceived by Deci and Ryan as a sub-theory of SDT to explain the various ways extrinsically driven behavior is governed. According to SDT, extrinsic motivation takes four forms: external regulation, interjected regulation, identification, and integrated regulation (Gagn\u0026eacute; \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e). Externally controlled behavior is the least autonomous since it is undertaken in response to an external demand or potential reward. Interjected regulation is more internalized and depends on activities performed to avoid guilt, anxiety, and humiliation, or to boost the ego and emotions of worth, or pride. Identification regulation is a more autonomously driven sort of extrinsic incentive. It entails intentionally appreciating a goal or guideline so that the activity is regarded as personally significant, such as exercising in order to lose weight. The most autonomous type of extrinsic incentive is integrated regulation. When laws are fully integrated with self, they become part of a person\u0026rsquo;s self-evaluations and attitudes about personal requirements. As a result, integrated motivations have characteristics with intrinsic motivation but are nonetheless categorized as extrinsic since the objectives sought are for reasons other than intrinsic enjoyment or interest in the work, such as when people exercise because they believe in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle (Deci, Olafsen, \u0026amp; Ryan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen applied to sports, the core idea of SDT is that individuals are self-motivated when they engage in an activity because it is associated with pleasure and satisfaction, and so they continue to practice for extended lengths of time. Individuals who are motivated by external reasons, such as seeking a reward or escaping punishment, are unlikely to stick with the activity for long. Despite this, the theory holds that exercise may constitute a behavioural habit, such that people who start exercising for external reasons will gain internal incentives over time as the external motives become associated with them (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e). Because this study focuses on motivation to engage in sport and PA, SDT was selected as the most appropriate means of analysis.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Literature Review","content":"\u003cp\u003ePA, define as \u0026ldquo;a health- enhancing behavior\u0026rdquo; (Al-Hazzaa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), p. 50), has myriad benefits, including improved physical health (Malm et al., 2019), mental well-being (Caponnetto et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) and social connections (Coleman, Cox, and Roker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Despite these benefits, many women find it difficult to incorporate PA into their daily routines. Recent scientific studies suggest that women face significant barriers to PA, including personal (Koh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), sociocultural and environmental barriers (Chaabane et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), lack of time (Koh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), inadequate access to facilities (Almaqhawi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) and the presence of physical limitations or health conditions (Manaf, 2013). However, motivation plays a crucial role in helping women overcome these barriers, and various solutions can be explored to foster this motivation, including social support, and access to convenient exercise facilities (Chaabane et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSaudi Vision 2030 recognizes the importance of sports for women and aims to achieve health and sports awareness by supporting women\u0026rsquo;s sports. Among other initiatives, the government has established female-only gyms to spread awareness and increase Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s participation in and contribution to sport.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNevertheless, numerous studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle is common, especially among women. According to a recent study conducted by the General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia, only 13.2% of women met the recommended amount of PA (Al-Hazzaa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, Baqutayan (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that women\u0026rsquo;s participation in PA in Saudi Arabia was increasing significantly, from 46.1% in 2004 to 69.9% in 2016.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt must be noted that Saudi women are predominantly Muslim and thus face unique challenges related to religious, societal and cultural barriers. Research suggests that cultural and religious beliefs play a significant role in shaping PA behaviours among Muslim women (Nakamura, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e). Many Muslim women struggle with societal expectations, concerns about modesty, lack of female-only facilities and gender inequality (Al-Hazzaa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e. In a study by Samara et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), females at a university in Riyadh reported that the lack of designated areas and low self-efficacy were the biggest barriers to PA. In a study conducted at the Western University of Saudi Arabia (Awadalla et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e), students declared that the lack of location, time, social support, motivation, and sport skills were the biggest constraints on PA, which they insisted was essential for maintaining their health. Additionally, Almaqhawi (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) identified lack of family support, transport and time constraints as barriers for women to engage in PA. Aljuraiban and Nawawi (2020) indicated that it is crucial to understand the cultural and religious values of Muslim women to develop tailored interventions to promote PA and provide culturally appropriate opportunities. Al-Raddadi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) reported that Saudi adults engaged in PA for their health, to lose or maintain their weight, recreation and socialization. A study by Aljehani et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) with female university students in KAS concluded that barriers to participation included limited facilities, academic workload, gender roles and cultural standards, whereas facilitators included valuing positive results, general health concerns and family support.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlmaqhawi (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) explored the perceived barriers to and facilitators of PA among Saudi Arabian females living in the East Midlands, UK. The study found, like that of Aljehani et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), that the main barriers were societal and cultural norms, lack of facilities and time constraints, whereas facilitators were having friends or family members who were willing to participate in PA, having access to female-only facilities and the availability of supervised programmes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eClearly, cultural norms and societal factors play a significant role in women\u0026rsquo;s participation in PA in Saudi Arabia. Historically, participation has been limited by cultural and religious constraints. However, the situation is gradually evolving, and the government and other organizations have recently taken steps to promote and support women\u0026rsquo;s sports and PA. Despite this progress, cultural beliefs and societal norms are still significant, especially in traditional and conservative communities. Female-only facilities and supervised programmes have emerged as important solutions for removing cultural and religious barriers to women\u0026rsquo;s participation in PA. Female-only gyms and fitness centres have been established in various parts of Saudi Arabia to provide a safe and accepting environment in which women can exercise without compromising their privacy or religious beliefs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePA: Motivation and Challenges\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePA has been defined in various ways. Al-Hazzaa\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) research described PA as \u0026lsquo;a health-enhancing behavior\u0026rsquo; (p. 50). For Baceviciene and Alisauskas (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), PA means \u0026lsquo;a beneficial health activity for younger and older adults\u0026rsquo; (p. 689). Arslan, Kara and Arslan (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) affirmed that PA \u0026lsquo;is as important as adequate and balanced nutrition for maintaining a healthy life\u0026rsquo; (p. 102). Erdogan, Bozkurt and Tel (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) explained that PA \u0026lsquo;is expressed as physical movements, such as walking, running, or eating, that individuals spend certain amounts of energy in everyday life\u0026rsquo; (p. 194).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLipowski and Zaleski (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) offered a more explicit definition of PA as \u0026lsquo;a bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles, and which requires energy expenditure\u0026rsquo; (p. 48). Alqahtani et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) described PA as \u0026lsquo;any bodily movements produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure higher than the basal level\u0026rsquo; (p. 232). Al-Zahib (2020) characterized PA as a \u0026lsquo;wide range of body movements that are generated by the skeletal muscles and utilize energy above the baseline level, including routine daily activities, exercise, and active sports\u0026rsquo; (p. 38).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMany studies in the scientific literature confirm that regular PA ameliorates health and psychological well-being while decreasing the risks of obesity, chronic diseases and cardiovascular disorders (Alqahtani et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Warburton \u0026amp; Bredin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e. Recent literature has focused not only on the general benefits of PA, but also on the consequences, including for mental health, of inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle, which has become a general phenomenon all over the world, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. In the last 30 years, many researchers have tried to discover why some people partake in PA while others do not. Interpersonal factors appear to be the major reason to adopt healthy daily behaviours. Hands et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e) state that intrapersonal factors reside within the individual and can, essentially, include psychological and material factors. The authors also affirm that interpersonal factors are related to one\u0026rsquo;s relationships with others, as well as tangible or emotional support from the environment, family or friends or the lack of such support. Structural constraints in the environment include such things as a lack of locations and a dearth of low-cost facilities (Andrade et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, numerous studies explored the motivational determinants of PA practices among obese populations. Andrade et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) explained that, among Brazilian workers, the principal constraints on PA practices were \u0026lsquo;long working hours\u0026rsquo; (60.3%), \u0026lsquo;family commitments\u0026rsquo; (58.1%) and \u0026lsquo;housework\u0026rsquo; (54.5%; p. 1). The authors also stated that inactivity is more related to intrapersonal factors, whereas, for active participants, the constraints were environmental and structural. Reichert et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) concluded that the biggest constraints on PA were fatigue and a lack of money. Kim and Cho (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) confirmed this result with South Korean workers, finding that work conditions were the principal constraint on PA. In contrast, O\u0026rsquo;Connor and Temple (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e) drew attention to the influence of environmental and social factors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcerning the motives for PA, Aaltonen et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) identified seven factors: mastery, physical fitness, the social aspect of PA, the psychological state, enjoyment, willingness to be fitter/look better than others and appearance. Aaltonen et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) examined adults\u0026rsquo; motivation for PA, showing that environmental factors were the biggest cause of varying PA practices. Men and women reported that they engaged in PA for physical fitness, health maintenance and psychological well-being.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePA in Saudi Arabia\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Saudi Arabia, a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more common. Al-Hazzaa (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) stated that children and youth engaged in a minimal amount of PA when compared with the global average and that 84% of Saudi adolescents were inactive. A second study with adults (Al-Zalabani, Al-Hamdan, \u0026amp; Saeed, 2015) reported that women were less active than men. Al-Nozha et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) conducted a cross-sectional study among 30\u0026ndash;70-year-old Saudi citizens. The study found that age, level of education and region were the biggest constraints on PA practices. The authors also found that the level of PA practices increased with age, especially for males, and decreased with higher education levels. Al-Gelban (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e) observed that PA intensity depended on health conditions, such as obesity or cardiovascular problems, which presented the biggest constraint on adopting healthy behaviour. Al-Raddadi et al. (2015) showed that Saudi adults practiced PA for health, losing or maintaining weight, recreation, and socialization.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Hazzaa et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) found that the biggest constraints on PA, in addition to the ones cited by Al-Raddadi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), were poor knowledge about PA and the lack of places to do PA, especially for women. In addition, Al-Hazzaa et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e) and Al-Eisa and Al-Sobayel (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e) were interested in Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s PA behaviour, finding that the biggest reasons for engaging in PA were to lose weight and to aid their health. However, they were deterred by a lack of time, motivation, self-confidence, space or facilities and knowledge. A study by Samara et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) among females at a university in Riyadh reported how the lack of designated PA areas and low self-efficacy were the biggest barriers to PA. In a study conducted at the Western University of Saudi (Awadalla et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e), students declared that the lack of a location, time, social support, motivation, and sport skills were the biggest constraints on PA, but that PA was essential for maintaining good health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003ePopulation and Sample\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale learners, administrators and faculty members at Taif University were the main target of this research. The study\u0026rsquo;s total population consisted of 2,762 adult females (437 administrators, 1,100 graduate students and 1,225 faculty members). The investigation was conducted in November 2021 by means of a questionnaire distributed, via a link, through email and the university system. The study\u0026rsquo;s sample consisted of 706 adult females (95 administrators, 300 graduate students and 311 faculty members. See Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e for demographic data.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdult Female Participants in the Study (by Age, Position and Marital Status)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e322\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdministrator\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate student\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFaculty member\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e311\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e366\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e706\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eSurvey Instrument\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe survey instrument was a questionnaire developed in the English language. The survey was then translated into the Arabic language by expert translators to ensure comparability between the two languages. The survey was divided into three parts. The first part consisted of basic information (age, position, marital, and status). The second section consisted of two axes. The first axis, the motivation for PA, had five parts (social motives, psychological motives, health motives, fitness-related motives and athletic-inclination motives). The second axis, challenges to PA, had six parts (professional or educational challenges, physical and service challenges, health challenges, psychological challenges, societal/family challenges and lack of awareness). The five-point scale was as follows: 1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly disagree, 2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;disagree, 3\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;undecided, 4\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;agree and 5\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly agree. The English versions of the survey items for the motivations and challenges scale are included as \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eAppendix A\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReliability and Validity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe items were assessed by a panel of fourteen experts in the field of sport and PA. The panelists were informed about the purpose of the study and the meaning of each axis so that they could make any comments, recommendations or revisions to enhance the questionnaire, including comments on the clarity or ambiguity of the items, as well as how the items represented each axis. Following the panelists\u0026apos; evaluation and amendments to the questions, a pilot was conducted with 35 people with similar characteristics to the study\u0026rsquo;s participants to gain feedback on the questionnaire\u0026rsquo;s clarity and ease of comprehension. For motivators of PA, the correlation coefficient for each item with the entire questionnaire was 0.36\u0026ndash;0.92, and between the items and each axis it was 0.39\u0026ndash;0.95. For challenges to PA, the correlation coefficient for each item with the entire questionnaire was 0.37\u0026ndash;0.73, and between the items and each axis it was 0.45\u0026ndash;0.91. The results indicated an acceptable level for all correlation coefficients; therefore, no items were deleted.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo examine the reliability of the motivation to PA axis, the test\u0026ndash;retest method was applied to the exploratory sample twice, with a time difference of three weeks. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated both times (0.90\u0026ndash;0.93). For the challenges of PA axis, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.91\u0026ndash;0.93, indicating an appropriate stability coefficient for the survey questions. Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha was calculated to examine the instrument\u0026rsquo;s reliability. The alpha coefficient for the motivators of PA axis ranged from 0.76 to 0.91, and for the challenges of PA axis it ranged from 0.78 to 0.95, indicating an acceptable reliability level.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eFindings\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResearch question 1 was: What motivates adult Saudi women to participate in PA at Taif University? To answer the question, the means and standard deviations for the motivation elements that influenced Saudi women at Taif University to engage in PA were determined. Psychological motives were the highest-ranked motivations. The mean for this axis was 4.37. Fitness-related motives were the second most important, with a mean of 4.19, while social motives, with a mean of 3.50, were ranked last. Overall, the total mean for the motivation elements was 4.04. As shown in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, the means ranged between 4.37 and 3.50.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMean and Standard Deviation for the Five Motivation Elements for PA\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRank #\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMotivation for PA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStd. D.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLevel\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePsychological motives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.678\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFitness-related motives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.654\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHealth motives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.563\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAthletic-inclination motives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.789\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSocial motives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.707\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal score\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.503\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResearch question 2 was: What challenges are facing adult Saudi women who wish to engage in PA at Taif University? To answer the question, means and standard deviations were determined. The highest-ranked items relating to the challenges were physical and service obstacles. The mean for this axis was 3.55. Professional or educational challenges were the second most important obstacle to engagement in PA, with a mean of 2.74. Health challenges ranked last, with a mean of 1.93. Overall, the total mean for the PA scale was 2.65; the standard deviation was 0.529. As seen in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, the means ranged between 1.93 and 3.55.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean and Standard Deviation for the Six Challenges to PA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRank #\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChallenges for PA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStd. D.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLevel\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePhysical and service challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.691\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProfessional or education challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.977\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSocietal/family challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.826\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePsychological challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.886\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLack of awareness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.882\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHealth challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.676\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal score\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.529\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResearch question 3 was: Is there a statistically significant difference, based on age, position, and marital status, for motivating adults to participate in PA as well as the challenges facing Taif University\u0026rsquo;s Saudi women to engage in PA? Mean and standard deviation for motivation, based on age, position, and marital status, are reported in Table\u0026nbsp;4.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean and Standard Deviation for Motivation to Participate in PA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tabb\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMotivating axis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean Std. D.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.92 0.554\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.14 0.441\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e322\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.07 0.472\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdministrator\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.95 0.352\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate student\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.08 0.516\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFaculty member\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.03 0.527\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e311\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.97 0.562\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.10 0.449\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e366\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.10 0.450\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo show the differences between arithmetic averages, a four-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. For the motivations axis, the four-way ANOVA showed no significant differences at the 0.05 level for marital status; the F-value results were 0.680, with a statistical significance of 0.507. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference for the variable relating to current engagement in PA or sport. The differences favoured people who were not engaging in PA or sport. The resulting F-value was 26.562, with a statistical significance of 0.000. There were also significant differences at the 0.05 level for the age and position variables. For the age variable, the F-value was 17.572, and the significance was 0.000. For the position variable, the F-value was 14.853, with a statistical significance of 0.000. As seen in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, a four-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference based on age, position and the current engagement in PA or sport variable.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFour-Way ANOVA Results\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSource\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSum of Squares\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean Square\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (yesrs)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.984\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.992\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.572\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.749\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.374\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.853\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.309\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.154\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.680\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.507\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDo you engage in PA?\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.034\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.034\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.562\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eError\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e158.577\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e698\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.227\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e178.721\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e705\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo clarify the differences between arithmetic averages, Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons were utilized. The post-hoc analysis showed the existence of significant differences at the 0.05 level between the age group for women who were under 30 and the age groups for women who were 30\u0026ndash;40 and over 40. The differences favoured both the 30\u0026ndash;40 and over 40 groups. For the position variable, Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between the administrators and graduate students, favouring administrators. The results for the Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons are reported in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePost-Hoc Comparison of the Results by Age and Position for the Motivation Axis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30 30\u0026ndash;40 \u0026gt;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.23*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.15* 0.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdmin GS Faculty\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdministrator (Admin)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate student (GS)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFaculty member\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Faculty)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.08 0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFor the challenges to engaging in PA, mean and standard deviation, based on age, position, marital status and currently engaging in PA are reported in Table\u0026nbsp;7.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean and Standard Deviation for Challenges to Participation in PA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tabc\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChallenges axis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean Std. D.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.64 0.474\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.58 0.581\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e322\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.90 0.425\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdministrator\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.80 0.452\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate student\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.59 0.528\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e300\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFaculty member\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.66 0.543\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e311\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.58 0.500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.72 0.552\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e366\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.56 0.450\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEngage in\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.48 0.528\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e340\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePA?\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.81 0.478\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e366\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFor the challenges to engaging in PA, the four-way ANOVA showed no significant differences at the 0.05 level for marital status; the F-value results were 1.239, with a statistical significance of 0.290. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference for the variable relating to engaging in PA or sport. The resulting F-value was 74.000, with a statistical significance of 0.000. As seen in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, the four-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference based on age, position and the current engagement in PA or sport variable.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSummary of Four-Way ANOVA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSource\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSum of Squares\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean Square\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.528\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.264\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.635\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePosition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.219\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.610\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.724\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.593\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.297\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.239\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.290\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDo you engage in PA?\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.714\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.714\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eError\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e167.086\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e698\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.239\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e197.554\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"char\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e705\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThere were significant differences at the 0.05 level for the age and position variables. For the age variable, the F-value was 13.635, and the significance was 0.000. For the position variable, the F-value was 6.724, with a statistical significance of 0.000. To clarify the differences between arithmetic averages, Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons were utilized. The post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences at the 0.05 level between the age group for women who were over 40 and the age groups for women under 30 and aged 30\u0026ndash;40. The differences favoured the over 40 group. For the position variable, Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between administrators and graduate students, favouring administrators. The results of the Scheff\u0026eacute; post-hoc comparisons are reported in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 9\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePost-Hoc Comparison of the Results by Age and Position for the Challenges\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30 30\u0026ndash;40 \u0026gt; 40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAge (years)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLess than 30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.26* 0.31*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdmin GS Faculty\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ework\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAdministrators (Admin)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate students (GS)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.22*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFaculty members\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(Faculty)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14 0.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion and Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study, which took place at Taif University, investigated Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s motivation for regular PA and the challenges they face in wishing to engage in PA. The results revealed that the women surveyed were influenced by six motivations, the psychological and fitness motives being the two most cited. This result was in agreement with Hands et al. (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e), who revealed that intrapersonal factors, being psychological and material in character, were the principal motives. Aaltonen et al.\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) research demonstrated that men and women practice PA for fitness, health maintenance and psychological well-being. In the study of Knowles et al. (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e), some adults were found to be responsive to internal motivation, whereas others utilized external motivation to engage in an activity, although more internal motivation was the strongest incentive to action. Pintrich, Schunk and Meece (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) observed that individuals with intrinsic motivation did an activity for its own sake: \u0026lsquo;People who are intrinsically motivated work on tasks because they find them enjoyable. Task motivation is its own reward and doesn\u0026rsquo;t depend on explicit rewards or other external constraints\u0026rsquo; (p. 257). Individuals are self-motivated when they participate in an activity because it is connected with pleasure and satisfaction, and, as a result, they continue to practice it for extended lengths of time. Individuals driven by external factors, such as seeking to gain a reward or to avoid punishment, are unlikely to persist with an activity for long. Nevertheless, there is evidence that exercise may become a behavioural habit and that people who begin exercising for external reasons will acquire internal motivations when the external causes become connected with themselves (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHealth, an inclination towards athleticism and social motives were cited less than the first two factors. This finding did not support Saudi studies that affirmed that weight loss and health were the primary reasons to practice PA (Al-Eisa \u0026amp; Al-Sobaeyel, 2012; Al-Hazzaa et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). This may be due to the demographic and cultural specificity of Taif, which is a growing city and differs from other Saudi Arabia regions, such as Riyadh or Jeddah. Second, the study participants (students and personnel at Taif University) were selected from the same sociocultural context, unlike other studies, which drew people with various family, culture, age and gender backgrounds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConcerning the challenges to practising PA, the results confirmed that the physical and service obstacles were the major constraints on daily PA. This finding was consistent with the results of previous studies (Al-Hazzaa et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Andrade et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Samara et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). This outcome suggested that participants did not consider that they had any psychological or health problems to practice PA; at the same time, there were not enough public facilities, programmatic interventions and services or sport clubs to engage in daily PA. However, other Saudi studies (Al-Eisa \u0026amp; Al-Sobayel, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Al-Hazzaa et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) indicated that poor knowledge about PA, as well as a lack of time, motivation and self-confidence, were the major barriers to engaging in PA. Further research, with larger sample sizes and adjustment of potential challenges to PA practices in agreement with other studies, is necessary to confirm these results in the Saudi population.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present study\u0026rsquo;s third research question focused on whether demographic variables would affect motivation to engage in PA. Interestingly, the results illustrated that 30\u0026ndash;40-year-old women were more motivated to engage regularly PA than the other participants. This finding suggested that Saudi women who had completed their studies and were in work were more motivated than younger or older women. Regarding challenges, women who were over 40 years old and worked in administration seemed to experience fewer constraints. These results agreed with the work of Trost et al. (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e), which indicated that age and the level of education influenced motivation for PA. Nevertheless, Trost et al. pointed out the positive correlation between PA practices and marital status, noting that married people had less motivation to practice PA.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong Saudi adults, the motivation and challenges regarding PA appeared to be negatively affected by age (Al-Zalabani et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). It can, therefore, be argued that sociodemographic variables have a beneficial or negative effect on the motivations and challenges, but in the present study, age and position were found to be determinants of PA practices. The differences between the findings of this study and of other research may be attributable to the number of cross-sectional studies, including those relating to different cities in Saudi Arabia (rural areas, the capital, big cities, small regions, etc.), which creates some variance in the results. These findings should be closely examined with a large population in Saudi Arabia, including all possible demographic variables (male/female, student/worker and single/ married). Moreover, daily activity demands intense physical effort, which needs to be matched by such psychological qualities as mental strength, motivation and self-determination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study found that adult women at Taif University practised PA based on their psychological motivation and fitness objective, the former being increased by the latter. Age and position were also factors in motivation. The principal challenges to engaging in PA were physical and service obstacles. The study highlights the absence of previous research related to the correlation between motives and challenges. Further empirical research is required to clarify, confirm, or deny or elucidate the conclusions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuman Ethics and Consent to Participate declarations:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003enot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease provide a Consent to Participate declaration in the manuscript:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Taif university. N (HAO-02-T-105).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Taif university. N (HAO-02-T-105).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent\u003c/strong\u003e was obtained from all participants and/or their legal guardians.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Email Address of the Corresponding Author in the manuscript:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding:\u003c/strong\u003e The research was funding by Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia, Project No. (Tu-DSPP-2024-313).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments:\u003c/strong\u003e The authors extend their appreciation to Taif University, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work through Project number (Tu-DSPP-2024-313)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Corresponding author:\u003c/strong\u003e Sarah M. Alajlan”. \u0026nbsp;Email Address(
[email protected])\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAaltonen, S., Ortega-Alonso, A., Kujala, U. M., \u0026amp; Kaprio, J. (2013). Genetic and environmental influences on longitudinal changes in leisure-time physical activity from adolescence to young adulthood. \u003cem\u003eTwin Research and Human Genetics\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e16\u003c/em\u003e(2), 535-543.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAl Zahib, Y. H., \u0026amp; Baarimah, H. (2020). Physical activity profile among Saudi adults in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. \u003cem\u003eMiddle East Journal of Family Medicine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e7\u003c/em\u003e(10), 37-45.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAl-Eisa, E. S., \u0026amp; Al-Sobayel, H. I. (2012). Physical Activity and Health Beliefs among Saudi Women. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2012, 642187. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/642187\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAl-Gelban, K. S. (2008). 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L., \u0026amp; Ryan, R. M. (1987). The support of autonomy and the control of behavior. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53\u003c/em\u003e(6), 1024\u0026ndash;1037. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.53.6.1024.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeci, E. L., \u0026amp; Ryan, R. M. (2000). The \u0026ldquo;What\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Why\u0026rdquo; of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior. \u003cem\u003ePsychological Inquiry, 11\u003c/em\u003e(4), 227-268.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeci, E. L., \u0026amp; Ryan, R. M. (Eds.). (2002). \u003cem\u003eHandbook of self-determination research.\u003c/em\u003e University of Rochester Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., \u0026amp; Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations: The State of a Science. \u003cem\u003eAnnual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4\u003c/em\u003e(1), 19\u0026ndash;43.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eErdogan, R., Bozkurt, E., \u0026amp; Tel, M. (2021). Investigation of Healthy Life and Physical Activity Levels of Prospective Teachers. \u003cem\u003eInternational Online Journal of Educational Sciences\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e13\u003c/em\u003e(1).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGagn\u0026eacute;, M., \u0026amp; Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Organizational Behavior, 26\u003c/em\u003e(4), 331\u0026ndash;362. https://doi-org.sdl.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/job.322\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHands, B. P., Parker, H., \u0026amp; Larkin, D. (2002). What do we really know about the constraints and enablers of physical activity levels in young children? Paper presented at the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc (ACHPER), 23rd Biennial National/International Conference: Interactive Health \u0026amp; Physical Education. Launceston, TAS, 3-5 July 2002.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKim, C., \u0026amp; Cho, Y. (2015). Working conditions and leisure-time physical activity among waged workers in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Occupational Health, 57\u003c/em\u003e (3), 259-267.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKnowles, M.S, Holton, E., \u0026amp; Swanson, R. (2012). The adult learner: \u003cem\u003eThe definitive classic in adult education and human resource development\u003c/em\u003e (7th Ed.). New York, NY: Taylor \u0026amp; Francis.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKoh, Y.S., Asharani, P.V., Devi, F., Roystonn, K., Wang, P., Vaingankar, J.A., Abdin, E., Sum, C.F., Lee, E.S., M\u0026uuml;ller-Riemenschneider, F. and Chong, S.A. (2022). A cross-sectional study on the perceived barriers to physical activity and their associations with domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behaviour. \u003cem\u003eBMC Public Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e22\u003c/em\u003e(1), 1-11.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLipowski, M., \u0026amp; Zaleski, Z. (2015). Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives: A new method of measuring motives for physical activity and sport. \u003cem\u003eHealth Psycholog. Report\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e(1), 47-58.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMinistry of Sport. (2021). \u003cem\u003eAbout ministry\u003c/em\u003e. About Us (mos.gov.sa).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eNakamura, Y. (2002). Beyond the hijab: Female Muslims and physical activity. \u003cem\u003eWomen in sport and physical activity Journal\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(2), 21-48.\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u0026rlm;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eO\u0026rsquo;Connor, J. P., \u0026amp; Temple, V. A. (2005). Constraints and facilitators for physical activity in family day care. \u003cem\u003eAustralasian Journal of Early Childhood\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e30\u003c/em\u003e(4), 1-9.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePintrich, P. R., Schunk, D. H., \u0026amp; Meece, J. L. (2007). \u003cem\u003eMotivation in education: Theory, research, and applications\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(3rd ed). Pearson Education.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eReichert, F. F., Barros, A. J., Domingues, M. R., \u0026amp; Hallal, P. C. (2007). The role of perceived personal barriers to engagement in leisure-time physical activity. \u003cem\u003eAmerican Journal of Public Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e97\u003c/em\u003e(3), 515-519.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRyan, R. M., \u0026amp; Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. \u003cem\u003eContemporary Educational Psychology, 25\u003c/em\u003e(1), 54\u0026ndash;67.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSamara, A., Nistrup, A., Al-Rammah, T. Y., \u0026amp; Aro, A. R. (2015). Lack of facilities rather than sociocultural factors as the primary barrier to physical activity among female Saudi university students. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Women\u0026apos;s Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e7\u003c/em\u003e, 279.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSaudi Vision 2030 (2019). \u003cem\u003eAn ambitious nation\u003c/em\u003e. https:// vision2030.gov.sa/en/themes/4\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTrost, S. G., Owen, N., Bauman, A. E., Sallis, J. F., \u0026amp; Brown, W. (2002). Correlates of adults\u0026rsquo; participation in physical activity: review and update. \u003cem\u003eMedicine \u0026amp; Science in Sports \u0026amp; Exercise, 34\u003c/em\u003e(12), 1996-2001.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWarburton, D. E. R., \u0026amp; Bredin, S. S. D. (2019). Health Benefits of Physical Activity: A Strengths-Based Approach. \u003cem\u003eJournal of clinical medicine, 8\u003c/em\u003e(12), 2044. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8122044\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eZaid, Z. A. (2019). The level of physical activity and nutritional awareness among students of the preparatory year at the University of Jeddah. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Sports Science Applications, 100\u003c/em\u003e, 99-111.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"
[email protected]","identity":"bmc-sports-science-medicine-and-rehabilitation","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ssmr","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation](http://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/ssmr/default.aspx","title":"BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5013878/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5013878/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to discover Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s perceptions of their motivation to engage in physical activity and the challenges of engaging in physical activity at Taif University. The research also aimed to test whether there were significant differences among the variables due to age, type of work, and marital status, as well as to clarify whether the women were engaged in physical activity or sports. Moreover, the research investigated whether there was a statistically significant correlation between Saudi women\u0026rsquo;s perceptions of their motivation to engage in physical activity and the challenges of engaging in physical activity at Taif University. This study used Self-determination theory as the theoretical framework for understanding motivation. A self-administered questionnaire was used for this research. The study\u0026rsquo;s total population consisted of 2,762 women. The results revealed that the female students and employees at Taif University were influenced by five motivations (psychological motives, fitness-related motives, health motives, athletic-inclination motives, and social motives). Psychological motives were the highest -ranked items for the motivation elements that inspire adult Saudi women to participate in physical activity (AP). Concerning the challenges with PA practices, the results confirmed that the physical and service obstacles were the major constraints of daily physical-activity practices. The study indicated that 30-40-year-old women were more motivated to practice regular physical activity than the other participants. More empirical study is needed to confirm, refute, or interpret the conclusions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring Motivation and Barriers to Physical Activity among Adults Saudi Women","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-11-21 07:28:42","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5013878/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-09-17T10:19:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-09-12T08:41:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-09-12T08:37:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation","date":"2024-09-01T16:53:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"
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