Exercise Is Medicine Day On Campus: A Survey Of Physical Activity And Nutrition Habits

Abstract

Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is a global joint initiative between the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). West Chester University (WCU) was recognized by the ACSM in 2018 as an EIM-On Campus Gold Campus, indicating that WCU actively attempts to engage the campus community in physical activity. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess opinions related to the second WCU EIM Day. This event was hosted by the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at WCU and included participation from all six departments in the CHS, student groups, faculty and staff, alumni, and community stakeholders. METHODS: Sixty-five participants (19 M, 46 F), (77% 18-21 years old, 15% 22-25 years old, 8% 26 years or older) that visited the event responded to an 8-question program evaluation survey. RESULTS: The data did not have a normal distribution due to the small sample size. Therefore, non-parametric data analyses were applied. Spearman non-parametric correlations were utilized to determine the relationship between enjoyment levels and perceived helpfulness of the event for increasing physical activity (PA) and improving nutrition habits (NH). Results indicated a significant positive strong association between enjoyment levels and perceived helpfulness of the event for increasing PA (rs(46)=.66, p<.05). There was a medium association between enjoyment levels and perceived helpfulness of the event for improving NH but this association was not significant, (rs(25)=.30, p>.05). To examine differences between male and female participants, the Mann-Whitney U-test was applied for enjoyment levels, perceived helpfulness for PA and for NH items. Results indicated differences in enjoyment levels between males and females, (U= -2.02, p<.05) but no significant differences in perceived helpfulness of the event for PA and for NH items between females and males, (UPA= -2.04, p=.09 and UNH=-1.9, p=.08). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that participants that attended EIM Day found it beneficial for increasing PA habits. This may be due to activities throughout the day that included yoga, boot camp fitness, and Tai Chi. While there were food stands and information disseminated by nutrition students, in the future it will be important to provide more offerings related to proper nutrition habits.