Validity and reliability of college students' responses to the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2) in a basic studies physical activity and wellness course

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of college students' responses to the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2) in a basic studies physical activity and wellness course. The BREQ-2 is a 19-item questionnaire used to assess exercise motivation through the application of 5 subscales (amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, intrinsic regulation). Previous studies have shown that the BREQ-2 produces valid and reliable scores in a variety of populations. In the Spring 2009 semester, 604 students completed the BREQ-2 at a southeastern university. Participant characteristics included a mean age of 20, with 86.9% white and 61.4% females. Using AMOS 17.0, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. The model fit was evaluated using chi-square (χ2), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Comparative Fit Index (CFI). The model provided an adequate fit, χ2(142)=639.193, RMSEA=0.076, CFI=0.912. Internal consistency reliability coefficients, analyzed using SPSS 17.0, ranged from 0.749 to 0.894 indicating good reliability. Consequently, the BREQ-2 seems to be a good instrument to measure motivation associated with decisions to engage in exercise with this student population. The BREQ-2 could be used in a variety of ways including assessment of exercise motivation at pre/post course or could be used to evaluate motivation associated with different types of physical activities offered in basic physical education courses. Furthermore, the BREQ-2 may help identify college students that are not motivated to be physically active, and courses could be tailored to address the needs of those individuals.