Abstract
(1) Background: Generally suggested public health measures to reduce obesity were to limit television (TV) viewing, enhance daily physical activities, enable the consumption of fruit and vegetables, and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake. This study analyzed the extent to which selected social cognitive theory constructs can predict these behaviors among Chinese undergraduate students. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1976 undergraduate students from six universities in Chongqing, China. A self-administered five-point Likert common physical activity and nutrition behavior scale based on social cognitive theory was utilized. (3) Results: This study included 687 (34.77%) males and 1289 (65.23%) females. A total of 60.14% of the students engaged in exercise for less than 30 min per day. Approximately 16.5% of the participants spent at least 4 h watching TV and sitting in front of a computer daily. Approximately 79% of the participants consumed less than five cups of fruit and vegetables daily. Undergraduate students who had high self-efficacy scores had more leisure time physical activities. Those who have high expectation scores had considerable time watching TV and sitting in front of a computer. Undergraduate students who had high expectation and self-efficacy scores had substantially low consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Those who had high self-efficacy scores consumed considerable amounts of fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, the type of university, BMI group, gender, age, lack of siblings, and grade level were associated with the aforementioned four behaviors. (4) Conclusion: Physical inactivity and unhealthy nutrition behaviors are common among undergraduate students. This study used social cognitive theory to provide several implications for limiting the TV viewing, enhancing daily physical activities, consuming fruit and vegetables, and reducing sugar-sweetened beverage intake among undergraduate students.
Highlights
Physical inactivity and unhealthy nutrition behaviors have resulted in innumerable chronic diseases around the world
This study determined that the constructs of selected social cognitive theory can predict the four behaviors of limiting television viewing, enhancing physical activity, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and limiting sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in undergraduate students
Prolonged TV viewing time, physical inactivity, diet that is low on fruit and vegetables, and high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage are common among undergraduate students
Summary
Physical inactivity and unhealthy nutrition behaviors have resulted in innumerable chronic diseases around the world. Suggested public health measures to reduce obesity were to limit television viewing, encourage moderately intense daily physical activities, increase fruit and vegetable intake, and increase water consumption [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) asserted that physical inactivity causes numerous cases of cancer, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases, thereby directly and indirectly killing 3.2 million people globally [2,3]. Sedentary behaviors, such as viewing television (TV) and using a computer, can potentially increase the risk of being overweight and obese and having colorectal cancer among adolescents [4,5]. 2.8% of deaths globally are related to low consumption of fruit and vegetables [9]
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