Abstract
Grounded in Basic Psychological Needs Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), the objective of this study was to examine the mediating role of psychological need fulfillment in the leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) - psychological health relationship using a sample of breast cancer survivors. Adopting a 2–wave longitudinal design, women (N = 144) completed measures of LTPA, psychological need satisfaction experienced during exercise, and markers of well- and ill-being on two occasions separated by 3-months. Based on change score analyses, increased LTPA was associated with increased well-being (r's = .17 to .20) and decreased ill-being (r's = -.06 to -.21). Multiple mediation analyses demonstrated that changes in psychological need fulfillment accounted for the LTPA – well-being relationship (R2adj = .10 to .13), with perceived relatedness serving as a unique mediator. Changes in psychological need fulfillment did not mediate the LTPA – ill-being relationship (R2adj = .02 to .04). With these findings in mind, it is plausible that domain specific psychological need satisfaction is a mechanism for understanding the effects of LTPA on well-being, but not ill-being. The importance of social connectedness in LTPA settings for women's well-being during survivorship is further reinforced.Acknowledgments: Support for this study was provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Research