General Motivation Scale for Developing Healthy Lifestyle Habits (GMS-DHLH): Development and Initial Evaluation of the Instrument

Abstract

In a context where post-secondary education is mobilizing to increase success and graduation, increased attention is currently being paid to health as a predictor of academic success. This has led to a desire to intervene to improve and maintain students’ healthy lifestyle habits (LH). As motivation is a strong predictor of behavioral commitment, it represents a relevant lever arm to act in this direction. An instrument measuring motivation to cultivate healthy LV was therefore developed and tested with a sample of young adults studying at post-secondary level. This agreement scale consists of 12 items representing three motivational sub-concepts: usefulness, sense of competence and interest in LV. The results of principal component analysis, hierarchical structural analysis, internal consistency, discriminant validity and testretest reliability give the instrument good psychometric qualities.