Physical Activity In College Students Research Articles

Perceived Walkability, Social Capital, and Self-Reported Physical Activity in Las Vegas College Students

College students are an understudied, vulnerable population, whose inactivity rates exceed those reported by U.S. adults. Walkability in sprawling cities, such as Las Vegas, is challenged due to automobile-oriented development. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived neighborhood walkability, social capital, and meeting physical activity recommendations among University of Nevada-Las Vegas college students. Of the 410 participants, 42.2% met physical activity recommendations, 77.1% were female, 37.3% were white, and 79.5% owned a vehicle. Logistic regression showed that social capital (odds ratio (OR) = 1.25, p = 0.04) and gender (OR = 0.49, p <0.01) were the only positive indicators of physical activity; no perceived walkability subscales were significant. Findings confirm that social factors remain an important health determinant and that females continue to be less active than males. The authors speculate that sprawl characteristics may impact perceived walkability and act as a deterrent, or that it is the social norm to commute and complete errands by vehicle. It may also be that the survey tool used was unable to account for confounding variables associated with sprawl. Supporting social capital may be one approach to increase physical activity. Fostering walkability makes urban environments more livable, sustainable, healthy, and equitable; thus, further research into the relationship between walkability and physical activity in college students is needed.

The effect of academic examination stress on dietary intake and physical activity in university students

The effect of academic examination stress on dietary intake and physical activity in university students

2269 Day-to-day association between alcohol use and physical activity in university students

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The goal of the present study was to advance our understanding of how alcohol use may contribute to physical inactivity among university students by investigating this association at a day-to-day level. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In total, 57 university students (Mage=20.27; 54% male) completed daily diary questionnaires using a cellphone application, which prompted them each evening to report minutes of moderate/vigorous physical activity engaged in, and number of alcoholic drinks consumed, as well as intended minutes of physical activity for the following day. Longitudinal mixed-level modeling was used to disentangle within person and between-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity behavior and intentions. Separate models were run to investigate lagged effects of previous day alcohol use. We controlled for sex and age in all models. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results indicated that participants’ usual alcohol use (between-person) was not associated with physical activity behavior or intentions. At the within-person level, day-to-day variance in alcohol use was negatively associated with both physical activity behavior (γ=−0.34, p=0.003) and intentions to engage in physical activity the following day (γ=−0.70, p<0.001). The lagged model indicated that previous day alcohol use negatively predicted PA behavior (γ=−0.33, p=0.004). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Previous studies have largely been constrained to cross-sectional designs, and have surmised that there exists a positive association between alcohol use and physical activity due to trait-level differences between university students. We advance this literature by using ecological momentary assessment to investigate the within-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity at a day-to-day level while controlling for between-person variance. Contrary to existing literature, we found that on days when students consumed relatively more alcohol than they typically report, they: (a) report fewer minutes of physical activity on the same day, (b) plan to engage in relatively less physical activity on the subsequent day, and (c) engage in less physical activity on the subsequent day. By advancing our understanding of how alcohol use may curtail other health behaviors such as physical activity, we inform interventions that aim to target these behaviors in conjunction, or as part of a multiple behavior change intervention.

Empirical Analysis of Flow Characteristics in Physical Activity: Evidence from College Students in Shanghai

Chinese college students’ physical activity mainly consists of physical activity in physical education (PE) classes and extra-curriculum physical activity. With the improvement of college PE teaching, as well as the decline of college students’ physique and the frequent occurrence of psychological problems in college students, more and more Chinese colleges has started promoting students’ active participation in physical activity. This is performed as a means of improving the physique and the mental health of college students. Flow is a positive psychological experience that quite often takes place in physical activity. Based on the theory of flow, this paper investigates flow characteristics in physical activity of college students in Shanghai. Contributing to existing literature on flow, this paper focuses on empirically exploring the manifestation of flow characteristics, differences in flow characteristics in different types of sports, and differences in flow characteristics in different grades of college students in Shanghai. The data are collected from questionnaire survey. Questionnaire questions are based on the Flow State Scale of Jackson and Marsh (1994). A preliminary test was carried out to assess the effectiveness of questionnaire questions. According to test results, a minor amendment of questionnaire questions was made to ensure that all questionnaire questions can be effectively understood. 500 questionnaires are handed out, and all were successfully retrieved. Factor analysis is utilized to reduce dimension, i.e., factorizing the answers to 36 questions into 6 variables and in calculating the value of flow. Test results found that the manifestation of flow characteristics in physical activity of college students in Shanghai are “self-experience”, “integration of action and awareness”, “clear goals and feedback”, “lack of self-consciousness”, “sense of control”, and “time transformation”. There are sharp differences between flow characteristics in physical activity of different types of sports. The flow in closed motor skills physical activity is higher than that in open motor skills physical activity. The main differences are manifested through four factors: self-experience, integration of action and awareness, clear goals and feedback, and sense of control. There are also significant differences among flow characteristics of college students in different grades, with freshmen having the highest value of flow. The flow characteristics of students in different grades also differ in terms of different types of sports.

THE SELF-ESTIMATION OF THE HEALTH LEVEL, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND FEELING OF THE RIGA BASIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY PEDAGOGICAL SPECIALTY STUDENTS

Students is a group of population, who experience psychological overload and emotional strain. These factors could have a negative impact on student's health, but good health level and positive mood are important factors for high learning outcomes. The survey of Riga 2nd Gymnasium 9th grade basic school students and University of Latvia 1st course pedagogical speciality students was carried out. The self-estimation of health level, physical activities and feeling at school and at home of the both group students was compared. The results of the survey showed that the majority of students have good health level or they have minor health problems. Physical activity of basic school students is higher than the physical activity of university students. A part of students regularly experience strain. More basic school students in comparison with university students are regularly in the state of stress. Overall university students feel better at university than basic school students at school. The majority of both group students feel good at home. Students consider that important factors for maintaining of the health are: correct sleep regimen, proper nutrition regime, enough physical activities, avoiding from stress and overload.

Risk Behaviors, Energy Balance and Physical Activity of University Students of a Nutrition School

Risk Behaviors, Energy Balance and Physical Activity of University Students of a Nutrition School

Gender Differences In College Student Physical Activity Based On The Use Of Wearables, Apps, And Social Media

Gender Differences In College Student Physical Activity Based On The Use Of Wearables, Apps, And Social Media

Movement Activity Determination with Health-related Variables of University Students in Kosice.

IntroductionThere is currently a strong scientific evidence about the negative health consequences of physical inactivity. One of the potential tools for promoting physical activity at the institutional level of the Ecological model is to create conditions and settings that would enable pupils, students and employees engage in some form of physical activity. However, physical activities as a subject are being eliminated from the study programs at Slovak universities. The purpose of the study was to find current evidence about the level of structured physical activity and health-related variables in university students in Košice.Material and methodsThe sample consisted of 1,993 or, more precisely, 1,398 students who attended two universities in Košice. To collect data, students completed a questionnaire and were tested for body height, body weight, circumferential measures and percentage body fat.ResultsThe university students did not sufficiently engage in a structured physical activity. A large number of students had either low or high values of percentage body fat and BMI and high WHR values.ConclusionsOur findings have shown that the research into physical activity of university students should receive more attention.

Effectiveness of individual counseling and activity monitors to promote physical activity among university students.

Physical activity (PA) promotion among university students is important to contribute to a lifelong healthy lifestyle. Nevertheless, research in the field is still limited in quantity, quality and generalizability. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of two individual-based strategies for promoting PA among university students in such university contexts where course-based interventions are difficult to implement. Thirty-three university students were recruited by means of face-to-face interviews and randomly assigned to three groups. The first group attended individual counselling sessions (based on the social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model of behavior change) via videoconferencing calls, the second used wearable PA monitors designed to motivate to PA, and the third served as control. Interventions lasted 12 weeks. Measures of weekly PA (self-reported by questionnaires and recorded by ActiGraph-GT3X+ monitors) and the stage of change of participants were collected at baseline (t0), immediately after the 12-week intervention (t1), and after a 3-month follow-up (t2). Students in the individual counselling group increased self-reported energy expenditure between t0 and t1 and maintained this improvement at t2; on the contrary, there was no increase in ActiGraph measures of PA. Progression through stages of changes was observed in the same group at t1, followed by some relapses at t2. No significant differences were found neither in the group of students who used the PA monitors nor in the control group. Although measures of self-reported PA and stage of change suggest the effectiveness of the counselling intervention, the results obtained with accelerometers are contrasting, probably due to the fact that some types of PA participants engaged in could not be recorder by accelerometers. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of individual counselling to promote PA in university students. The autonomous use of PA monitors had no effects on PA behavior. The low participation rate in the study suggests considering carefully the difficulties in motivating this population and in finding low time-consuming strategies to incentive participation.

PREVALENCE, PATTERNS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN INDIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Background: As physical activity is beneficial for overall health, regular surveillance is essential among the populace. In India, there is a paucity of data regarding physical activity. The present study was aimed to explore the prevalence, patterns and associated factors of physical activity in university students. Methods: A total of 255 students were interviewed using IPAQ long form. Demographic data including age, height, weight, stay and place of residence was self-reported by subjects. PA levels were presented as median and percentages. Chi-square test was employed to estimate the association between the categorical variables. Results: In the overall sample, 11.37% were inactive, 73.73% were moderately active and 14.9% were found to be highly active. Walking was identified as a major contributor in females while vigorous activity contributed maximally in males. The Leisure-time domain was observed as major contributor and work domain was the least contributor to the total PA levels. Significant associations were seen between physical activity and independent factors such as gender, Stay and BMI. Conclusions: Majority of university students had moderate levels of physical activity. What is new? This study explores a new fact that being a hostler is significantly associated with low levels of physical activity among university students. Article visualizations:

Changes in the physical activity of university students: association with health information and access to places for practicing

To evaluate changes in the physical activity level (PAL) of students within the first two years of studies and their association with access to health information and places for physical activity. The sample included students who were admitted to the Federal University of Reconcavo in Bahia, Brazil, and were observed during their first two years of studies. Socioeconomic and demographic aspects, as well as body mass, height, health information and access to places for physical activity were assessed through a self-report. PAL was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and classified based on the criteria of the Research Committee for IPAQ. Chi-square test and McNemar test (p<0.05) were used for statistical analysis. The sample that participated during the entire observation period was composed of 92 students (64.1% female). The insufficiently active students ratio increased from 7.6% to 12.0% during the first two years of undergraduate studies, but this difference was not significant (p>0.05). Students who did not receive information about health care during the course of their studies were more likely to remain/become insufficiently active (p<0.001). There was no association between PAL and access to places for physical activity (p>0.05). A tendency to an increase in insufficiently active ratio during higher education was observed. Policies aimed at training students about health care in universities may be useful for increasing physical activity, thus contributing to improve the health condition of the students.

대학생의 기본적 심리 만족과 스트레스 잠재프로파일 유형에 따른 중고강도 신체활동의 차이

대학생의 기본적 심리 만족과 스트레스 잠재프로파일 유형에 따른 중고강도 신체활동의 차이

Determinantes para la Práctica de Actividad Física en Estudiantes Universitarios

La actividad física hace referencia al movimiento corporal que genera gasto energético, su práctica frecuente mejora las funciones físicas y mentales; el transporte activo, las actividades cotidianas y la recreación corresponden a la forma más común de actividad física. En Colombia la mayor parte de la población es inactiva, los niños son más activos, pero esta condición disminuye con la edad, el porcentaje de universitarios que realizan actividad física es bajo, está práctica está condicionada por la motivación interna, la condición física, la disponibilidad de tiempo y el soporte social. El gusto por el deporte, el espíritu competitivo, el mejoramiento de la imagen corporal, el manejo del estrés y los beneficios para la salud son factores motivadores para la práctica de la actividad física en estudiantes universitarios; por otra parte la pereza, el miedo a lesionarse, la escases de escenarios deportivos y la inseguridad del entorno son las barreras más frecuentes para la realización de actividad física en esta población

Facilitadores y barreras para la práctica físico-deportiva en alumnado universitario con discapacidad: un estudio cualitativo

Problema: a pesar de los numerosos beneficios que aporta la actividad física a las personas con discapacidad, la tasa de inactividad en este colectivo es muy elevada. Objetivo: explorar, desde un modelo socio-ecológico, los facilitadores y barreras que influyen en la actividad física en tiempo de ocio del alumnado universitario con discapacidad. Metodología: perspectiva metodológica cualitativa. Se entrevistó en profundidad a cinco alumnos universitarios con discapacidad que realizan actividad física en su tiempo de ocio. Resultados: el análisis categorial de contenido realizado muestra facilitadores como el apoyo social, la motivación o el reconocimiento de beneficios, tanto físicos como psicológicos. También se encuentran barreras como la falta de información, los problemas de accesibilidad o la exclusión social. Conclusión: se subraya la necesidad de potenciar los facilitadores y minimizar las barreras identificadas para conseguir una mayor participación de las personas con discapacidad en actividades físicas.

The Impact of Choice on Exercise Motivation and Physical Activity in College Students

Background: While research suggests that college courses contribute to significant health benefits, there is limited research on the effectiveness of these courses in increasing motivation and lifetime PA habits of college students.Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of choice in a conceptually-based college health and wellness course on exercise motivation and physical activity of undergraduate students.Method: Participants included undergraduate students (N = 81) enrolled in a health and wellness course at a four-year liberal arts university located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Quantitative data from the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire and the Leisure Time in Exercise Questionnaire were collected over three time points from two groups (choice and non-choice). Qualitative data from semistructured interviews with course instructors (N = 4) and open-ended questions were also collected.Results: There was a significant increase in intrinsic regulation F(2, 158) = 10.13, p = .00, ηp2 =.114; identified regulation F(2, 158) = 7.35, p = .001, ηp2= .085; introjected regulation F(2, 158) = 6.61, p = .002, ηp2= .077; and PA F(2, 158) = 5.63, p = .004, ηp2 = .067 over time. No significant differences were found between groups.Conclusion: While there was no significant difference between instruction type, instructors and participants suggested that choice was the preferred method for adult learners.

The Effect of Wearable Devices and Tailored Engagement on Physical Activity in College Students

The Effect of Wearable Devices and Tailored Engagement on Physical Activity in College Students

Validation of Three Wearable Fitness Trackers for Measuring Physical Activity in College Students

Validation of Three Wearable Fitness Trackers for Measuring Physical Activity in College Students

Gender gap in Social Enviroment of Leisure-time Physical Activity of University Students in Southwest Geo-political Zone of Nigeria

Gender gap in Social Enviroment of Leisure-time Physical Activity of University Students in Southwest Geo-political Zone of Nigeria

Validation of three short physical activity questionnaires with accelerometers among university students in Spain.

Physical activity (PA) in university students has not been analyzed with specific questionnaires tailored to this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the validity of three PA questionnaires developed on other populations comparing with accelerometer values: counts and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) calculated with uniaxial and triaxial cut points. One hundred and forty-five university students (of whom, 92 women) from Spain wore an accelerometer GT3X or GTX+ to collect PA data of 7 full days. Three questionnaires, Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adults (PAQ-AD), Assessment of Physical Activity Questionnaire (APALQ), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were administrated jointly with the collection of accelerometer values. Finally, after the application of inclusion criteria, data from 95 participants (62 women) with a mean age of 21.96±2.33 years were analyzed to compare the instruments measures. The correlational analysis showed that PAQ-AD (0.44-0.56) and IPAQ-SF (0.26-0.69) questionnaires were significantly related to accelerometers scores: counts, uniaxial MVPA and triaxial MVPA. Conversely, APALQ displayed no significant relations for males with accelerometers scores for MVPA created with both cut points. PAQ-AD and IPAQ-SF questionnaires have shown adequate validity to use with Spanish university students. The use of counts to validate self-report data in order to reduce the variability display by MVPA created with different cut points is discussed. Finally, validated instruments to measure PA in university students will allow implementation of strategies for PA promotion based on reliable data.

Barriers to Physical Activity on University Student

The purpose of the research is to analyze the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students based on physical activity level. An internet-based survey was conducted. The participants were 158 University students from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Barriers to Physical Activity Quiz (BPAQ) were used to assessed the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students. IPAQ (short form) were used to assessed physical activity level. The results show there was no differences BPAQ based on IPAQ level. But when analyzed further based on seven factors barriers there are differences in factors “social influence and lack of willpower” based IPAQ level. Based on this it was concluded that the “influence from other and lack of willpower” an inhibiting factor on students to perform physical activity.