BACKGROUND: This study qualitatively investigates retirement-age adults' perspectives on engaging in health behaviors such as physical activity or a healthy diet, distinguishing facilitators, barriers, goals, and motivations (the two later in line with Self-Determination Theory). METHODS: Two clinical psychologists conducted four focus groups with Spanish adults around retirement age. We conducted inductive and deductive content analysis. RESULTS: The main facilitators and barriers identified were the presence and absence of social support/social network, mental health, willpower, time, and motivation. Participants reported different types of motivation (e.g., intrinsic motivation in the enjoyment of the activity of exercise or cooking) and goals (intrinsic and extrinsic); except for the goal of health management, which presented both types of motivation, participants regulated intrinsic goals autonomously, and extrinsic ones with controlled motivation. A process of internalizing the source of motivation was identified inductively by participants. CONCLUSIONS: Facilitating social networks and addressing mental health issues could aid engagement in health behaviors among this population. Additionally, health management appeared as a significant goal, where autonomous motivation can develop even if the behavior initially arises from controlled motivation or external triggers, such as medical advice.

Department of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Amsterdam University Medical Centers Amsterdam Public Health Institute VU University Amsterdam the Netherlands

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Health Sport and Physical Activity Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam Netherlands

Department of Psychology Comillas Pontifical University Comillas 3 5 Madrid 28049 Spain

Faculty of Health and Social Sciences University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic

Servicio de Geriatría Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal IRYCIS Madrid Spain

UNINPSI Clinical Psychology Center Madrid Spain

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