The role of social support and its influence on exercise participation: The perspective of self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social support from family and friends on the intention to participate in exercise. Considering self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior, this study hypothesized that basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, and attitude mediate the relationship between social support and exercise intention. Data were collected from 318 college students in Singapore. Results showed that friends’ social support directly affected basic psychological needs, and basic psychological needs indirectly influenced exercise intention through intrinsic motivation and attitude. The findings indicate that the combination of social and cognitive interventions is necessary to increase exercise intention, and future research endeavor is needed to explore the comprehensive contextual paths to increase university students’ exercise intention.