Effects of Social Support on Physical Activity Participation in College Freshman

Abstract

Approximately 1 in 6 college aged adults in the Unites States engage in no leisure time physical activity. Still, a paucity of literature exists regarding what influences physical activity participation in this age group. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of social support on physical activity participation in college freshman enrolled in the HERD (Higher Education Reducing Diabetes) Study at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. METHODS: The HERD Study is a prospective, randomized study examining the effects of a freshman year, healthy lifestyle intervention on the reduction of student’s risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disease. Freshman students were recruited during the University’s Week of Welcome activities throughout campus. Physical activity measures, cardiometabolic health parameters and other demographics were obtained at baseline. Social Support was assessed by the Social Support and Exercise Survey; a 13 item, Likert scale survey that queries about family and friends social support for exercise over the past 3 months. RESULTS: To date, 76 freshmen have enrolled into the HERD Study [age = 18.5 ± 2.36 years; female = 60.5% (n = 46); 85.5% Caucasian (n = 65); BMI = 26.5 ± 5.85 kg/m2; VO2max = 35.4 + 9.3 ml/kg/min]. Roughly 44% (n = 33) reported engaging in regular exercise, however, of those, only 9.2% meet the recommendations of the aerobic guidelines for American adults and 26.3% meet the resistance training criteria. Those who participate in regular exercise where significantly more likely to report that friends help to: plan activities around their exercise, exercise with them, or ask them about how they (the friend) can adopt more exercise compared to their non- exercising counterparts (p = .026, p = .037 and p = .015, respectively). Moreover, those who participate in regular exercise were more likely to report that their family makes plans for exercise on recreational outings compared to their non-exercising counterparts (p = .042). CONCLUSION: Support from both friends and family appears to play a decisive role in the adoption and adherence to regular physical activity in late teenage years. Physical activity interventions should include strategies to promote peer social support in the college setting to enhance physical activity participation in college students.