SOCIAL Physique Anxiety, Eating Behavior, and Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Among Students in Public Secondary Schools: A Convergent DESIGN

Abstract

This mixed methods approach, specifically convergent design, to determine the influence of social physique anxiety and eating behavior on the basic psychological needs of exercise among public junior students in Region XI. Sets of adapted survey questionnaire and an interview guide were used to extract data relative to the research questions. Results showed that the status of social physique anxiety is high, and eating behaviors and basic psychological needs in exercise were both described as moderate. Further, the results showed that eating behavior has a significant influence on basic psychological needs in exercise, while social physique anxiety has reflected no significant influence. In the qualitative phase of the study, five essential themes emerged from the lived experiences of the participants, such as positive disposition about exercise, benefits from exercise, obstacles to exercise, unfavorable impressions of exercise, and influences of exercise. Furthermore, the merging of quantitative and qualitative findings produced a merging-converging nature on the basic psychological needs in exercise and a merging- diverging nature on the roles of experiences in shaping the beliefs and attitudes and insights shared by the participants towards the basic psychological needs in exercise.