A serial path model between autonomous motivation, behavioral intention, action planning, and after school physical activity of university students participating in Physical Education classes

University students in the international regions show reduced physical activity levels compared to previous generations. Lack of physical activity in college population is a growing problem of modern society because over half of the population is faced with serious health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. An emphasis point of physical activity research is to get detailed information of motivational process for engaging in physical activity. This study tested a serial path model that the relationship between autonomous motivation and after school physical activity was proposed to be mediated by behavioral intention and the existence of action planning. A total of 203 students participating in physical education classes of two universities located at a metropolitan city in South Korea were selected. The participants completed four well-validated questionnaires at the end of the classes in one semester. The results of data analyzed using a structural equation modeling revealed that after school physical activity could be positively advanced by the sequential mediation effects of behavioral intention and action planning if students were internalized with autonomous motivation in the physical education classes. The findings highlighted that the action planning played as an effective strategy in leading to engagement in after school physical activity and provided useful information for university physical educators to increase physical activity levels of university students during out of school hours.