Is the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire a Valid Measure in Older People?

Background: Despite the widely recognized benefits of physical activity for preventing physical and cognitive decline during aging, global estimates indicate that most older adults do not achieve the recommended amount of physical activity due to a lack of motivation. The current research examined the validity and psychometric properties of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) among older adults. Based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the BREQ-3 stands out as one of the most extensively utilized tools among exercise motivation studies. Methods: A sample of older adults (N = 383; M age = 73.2 years, SD age = 7.2) completed the BREQ-3 and the Godin–Shepard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ). Results: Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the six-factor structure postulated by SDT, showing good fit indices (CFI= 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0.04) and supporting the full measurement invariance of the scale across sex and age groups (65 to 74 years; over 75 years). The construct and criterion validity of the BREQ-3 was upheld through the latent correlations between its subscales and their correlations with the GSLTPAQ. Conclusions: We demonstrated for the first time the effectiveness of the BREQ-3 in assessing all forms of behavioral regulation proposed by SDT in older adults, suggesting that older adults similarly interpreted the items across sex and age groups.