How to measure motivation to change risk behaviours in the self-determination perspective? The Polish adaptation of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ) among patients with chronic diseases

The aim of this study was to validate the Polish adaptation of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ; Ryan, Conell, 1989), which measures the degree of self-determination in risk behaviour changes (diet, exercise and smoking). The study comprised 219 patients (101 after acute coronary syndrome and 118 with type 2 diabetes), beginning to undergo treatment. The Global Motivation Scale was used to test a convergent validity. The confi rmatory factor analysis (CFA) did not support the theoretical four-factor model, thus an exploratory analysis was conducted to determine an optimal model across risk behaviours. The adopted two-factor model matched original TSRQ subscales: autonomous motivation and external regulation (it did not contain the items from the introjected regulation and amotivation subscales). The internal consistency of factors (Cronbach’s α) ranging from .78 to .89. Structural equation modeling revealed the impact of global motivation on contextual motivation, limited to the equivalent type of regulation. The action aimed at supporting patient’s autonomy should consider the particular behaviour and the global motivation as a resource in disease.