Motivation, stress, recovery, and physical activity of teachers: discoveries with the Reiss Motivation Profile® and the Firstbeat® measurement

Aim

Teaching is known as a high-stress occupation. Managing fatigue and promoting work engagement, teachers' expectations and perceptions can impact work-related stress-recovery-balance and physical activity levels. The main objective of the current study was to investigate the relationship between intrinsic motivational factors and the autonomic nervous system, such as heart rate and heart rate variability regulation, sleep, and physical activity levels.

Methods

The research included 66 primary and high school teachers in Tampere, Finland, in 2020-2021. The Reiss Motivation Profile® (RMP) was selected as an instrument to provide a practical approach to understanding people's intrinsic motivators and the effects of those on the Firstbeat®-measured heart rate and heart rate variability, and accelerometry. Stepwise multiple linear regression models were used to assess whether the RMP motives reflected Firstbeat®-measured outcomes.

Results

Motives such as Acceptance, Eating, Family, Physical Activity, Power, Tranquillity, and Vengeance were found to have a relationship with Firstbeat®-measured outcomes. An increase in the Physical Activity motive was related to lower stress and less light physical activity. Furthermore, an increase in the Physical Activity motive showed a relationship with better recovery and a higher amount of vigorous physical activity. However, the statistical analysis of heart rate and heart rate variability showed only low explanatory power (R2 = 0.111-0.140) for stress, recovery, and sleep. On the contrary, the explanatory power of measurements related to physical activity and sedentary behavior was higher (R2 = 0.171-0.298). In addition, the need for Acceptance as an important intrinsic motive that may prevent people from vigorous physical activity deserves further research.

Conclusion

The results indicated that there are several factors affecting the autonomous nervous system but also behavior. The basic desires explained sedentary and physical activity behavior better than the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. The 16 life motives can serve as a valuable theory for understanding better how to encourage people to have healthier habits.

Relationship between mothers' enjoyment and sedentary behavior and physical activity of mother-child dyads using a movement-to-music video program: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Background

Parental support and participation in physical activity (PA) with children and parents’ acting as a role model for less sedentary behaviors (SB) are critical factors for children’s healthier lifestyle. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between mothers’ enjoyment and participants’ sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) as a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using data from Moving Sound RCT in the Pirkanmaa area of Finland.

Methods

The participants were 108 mother–child dyads (child age 5–7 years) who completed the eight-week exercise intervention using a movement-to-music video program in their homes. Mothers’ enjoyment was examined using a modified version of the enjoyment in sport questionnaire. The proportion of SB, standing, light PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, and Total PA were derived from accelerometers at baseline and during the final week of the intervention. Analyses were performed using linear mixed-effect models for (1) intervention and control groups, (2) groups based on mothers’ enjoyment.

Results

The results highlighted that mothers’ enjoyment of exercise with their children was overall high. Although there was no difference between the intervention and control groups, mothers in the intervention group increased their enjoyment during the intervention (p = 0.007). With mothers’ higher enjoyment at baseline, children’s light PA increased (p < 0.001), and with mothers’ lower enjoyment, children’s SB increased (p = 0.010). Further, if mothers’ enjoyment decreased during the study, their own LPA increased (p = 0.049), and their children’s SB increased (p = 0.013). If mothers’ enjoyment remained stable, children’s light PA (p = 0.002) and Total PA (p = 0.034) increased.

Conclusions

In this RCT, no differences were found between the intervention and control groups or groups based on mothers’ enjoyment, possibly due to the low power of the study. However, mothers’ enjoyment of exercise with their children increased within the intervention group, and mothers’ enjoyment influenced children’s SB and PA. For future studies, it would be essential to focus on children’s enjoyment and factors behind the behavior change.

Trial registration

The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number NTC02270138, on October 2, 2014.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-020-09773-4.

The effect of a movement-to-music video program on the objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity of preschool-aged children and their mothers: A randomized controlled trial

Regular physical activity (PA) and the avoidance of prolonged sitting are essential for children’s healthy growth, and for the physical and mental wellbeing of both children and adults. In the context of exercise, music may promote behavioral change through increased exercise adherence and participation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a movement-to-music video program could reduce sedentary behavior (SB) and increase PA in mother-child pairs in the home environment. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Pirkanmaa region, Finland, in 2014–2016. The participants consisted of 228 mother-child pairs (child age 5–7 years). The primary outcomes of interest were tri-axial accelerometer-derived SB and PA, which were measured in weeks one (baseline), two, and eight in both the intervention and control groups. Further, the mothers and children in the intervention group used a movement-to-music video program from the beginning of week two to the end of week eight. Secondary outcomes included self-reported screen time. The statistical methods employed comprised an intention-to-treat and linear mixed effects model design. No statistically significant differences between groups were found in primary or secondary outcomes. Among the children in the control group, light PA decreased significantly over time and screen time increased from 89 (standard deviation, SD 37) to 99 (SD 41) min/d. Among mothers and children in the intervention group, no statistical differences were found. In supplementary analysis, the children who stayed at home instead of attending daycare/preschool had on average 25 (95% confidence interval, CI 19–30) min/d more sedentary time and 11 (95% CI 8–14) min/d less moderate-to-vigorous PA than those who were at daycare/preschool. The higher body mass index of mothers was related with 5 (95% CI 2–7) min/d more sedentary time and 1 (95% CI 0–2) min/d less moderate-to-vigorous PA. The movement-to-music video program did not change the objectively measured SB or PA of the mother-child pairs. However, mothers and children seemed to be more sedentary at home, and therefore interventions for decreasing SB and increasing PA should be targeted in the home environment.

Differences in sedentary time and physical activity among mothers and children using a movement-to-music video program in the home environment: a pilot study

Measured objectively, less than a quarter of adults and under half of preschool children in Finland meet the physical activity recommendations. Moreover, higher sedentary time among parents (such as watching television) is associated with higher sedentary time of their children. The study introduces an intervention based on reducing sedentary behavior among mothers and their children. It utilizes a combination of music and exercise via a motivation-targeting movement-to-music video program in the home environment. Data were collected in summer 2014 from Finland’s Pirkanmaa region. Each mother–child pair (n = 24, child age: 4–7 years) was assigned to the intervention and control group. Both groups used an accelerometer and completed physical activity diaries for two consecutive weeks (14 days) during waking hours. In addition, the intervention group was instructed to use the movement-to-music video program during the second week. Differences between groups were expected in analysis of sedentary time and physical activity between weeks 1 and 2. The parameters assessed were sedentary time (i.e., lying down or sitting), standing still, and time spent in physical activity. Less sedentary time was revealed in week 2 than in week 1 among both intervention group mothers (56.6 vs. 53.3 %) and for intervention group children (49.5 vs. 46.0 %). The opposite was true of control group mothers (52.1 vs. 52.4 %) and children (46.7 vs. 49.8 %). Within-group differences in mothers’ sedentary time correlated moderately with the children’s sedentary time (Spearman’s r = 0.56). All groups exhibited slightly more standing in the second week than in week 1. Both sets of intervention participants also engaged in more light physical activity in week 2, with the opposite evident for the two control sets. In all groups, except the control children, the proportion of moderate to vigorous physical activity was higher in the second week than the first. The use of music and video content together may yield added benefits in efforts to reduce sedentary behavior and increase physical activity among mothers and their children in the home environment.

Rationale and methods for a randomized controlled trial of a movement-to-music video program for decreasing sedentary time among mother-child pairs

Background

Measured objectively, under a quarter of adults and fewer than half of preschool children meet the criteria set in the aerobic physical activity recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, adults reportedly are sedentary (seated or lying down) for most of their waking hours. Importantly, greater amounts of sedentary time on parents’ part are associated with an increased risk of more sedentary time among their children. A randomized controlled trial targeting mother-child pairs has been designed, to examine whether a movement-to-music video program may be effective in reducing sedentary time and increasing physical activity in the home environment.

Methods

Mother-child pairs (child age of 4–7 years) will be recruited from among NELLI lifestyle-modification study five-year follow-up cohort participants, encompassing 14 municipalities in Pirkanmaa region, Finland.

Accelerometer and exercise diary data are to be collected for intervention and control groups at the first, second and eighth week after the baseline measurements. Background factors, physical activity, screen time, motivation to exercise, and self-reported height and weight, along with quality of life, will be assessed via questionnaires. After the baseline and first week measurements, the participants of the intervention group will receive a movement-to-music video program designed to reduce sedentary time and increase physical activity. Intervention group mother-child pairs will be instructed to exercise every other day while watching the video program over the next seven weeks. Information on experiences of the use of the movement-to-music video program will be collected 8 weeks after baseline. Effects of the intervention will be analyzed in line with the intention-to-treat principle through comparison of the changes in the main outcomes between intervention and control group participants. The study has received ethics approval from the Pirkanmaa Ethics Committee in Human Sciences.

Discussion

The study will yield information on the effectiveness of movement-to-music video exercise in reducing sedentary behavior. Intervention-based methods have proven effective in increasing physical activity in home environments. Music may improve exercise adherence, which creates a possibility of achieving long-term health benefits.

Trial registration

The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, as NCT02270138. It was registered on October 2, 2014.