Fitness Profiles and Activity Patterns of Entering College Students

Abstract

Fitness levels of American youth have shown a marked decline in the last decade, according to recent studies. To determine whether such a tendency persists for entering college students, the authors evaluated 115 male and 143 female students for performance on the following fitness-related variables: (1) maximal oxygen consumption (estimated from Astrand cycling protocol), (2) body composition (skin-fold techniques), (3) muscle endurance (sit-up protocol), (4) muscle strength (bench-press protocol), and (5) joint flexibility (upper and lower body protocols).

Although neither men nor women exhibited high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, the women in the study showed higher relative levels than their male counterparts. Both groups showed excellent levels of muscle strength (compared with normative standards), but they achieved only an average standard for muscle endurance. Findings of relatively low levels of cardiovascular fitness compared with levels of muscle strength, particularly in men, seem to be a reflection of an inappropriate concentration of physical activity.     

Peer 2 Peer: Efficacy of a Course-Based Peer Education Intervention to Increase Physical Activity Among College Students

Abstract

There are few physical activity (PA) interventions in higher education, and they have been only minimally effective. Objective: To determine if a course-based, peer education intervention was associated with increases in PA and physical fitness. Participants: Participants were 178 students enrolled in a personal health class during the 2007–2008 academic year. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to assess the effect of the intervention. Repeated measures analysis of covariance was employed to test the impact of the intervention on students’ PA, body composition, waist-to-hip ratio, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and muscular strength. Results: Women in the treatment group classified as “Inactive” at baseline increased PA, whereas “Inactive” control women had reductions in PA. Women in the treatment group who were “Active” at baseline reduced their waist-to-hip ratio and increased flexibility. There were no differences by treatment group among men. Conclusions: The intervention was effective in improving PA and physical fitness among college women.     

Associations Between Physical Activity and Health-Related Factors in a National Sample of College Students

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between meeting the current moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation and health-related factors in a national sample of college students. Participants: Participants (N = 67,861) completed the National College Health Assessment II during the Fall 2008/Spring 2009 academic year. Methods: Hierarchical binary logistic regression was used to examine the contribution of 19 variables in explaining whether or not participants met the MVPA recommendation. Results: Meeting the MVPA recommendation was associated with several protective factors among college students, including adequate daily fruit and vegetable consumption, positive perception of general health, healthy body mass index, consistent seatbelt use, not smoking cigarettes, less perceived depression, and adequate sleep. In addition, meeting the MVPA recommendation was also significantly associated with a few risky behaviors including binge drinking, physical fighting, and multiple sexual partners. Conclusions: College student PA interventions should consider also addressing fruit/vegetable consumption and binge drinking.     

Relationship Between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students

Objective: The authors explored the relationship between self-reported vigorous exercise frequency and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use behaviors among first-year college students who self-identified as drinkers. Participants: The authors recruited 391 freshman college students in Northeast Florida to participate in an alcohol abuse prevention study. Methods: The authors conducted a multivariate analysis of variance to assess the relationship between vigorous exercise frequency and 6 measures of ATOD use at baseline. Results: Frequent exercisers drank significantly more often and a significantly greater quantity than did infrequent exercisers. However, frequent exercisers smoked cigarettes significantly less often than did infrequent exercisers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that vigorous exercise frequency is differentially associated with alcohol and cigarette consumption among college students. Researchers should further examine the reasons for these differences.     

Moderators of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Consumption in College Students

Abstract

Objective: Among college students, several studies have found a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. The current study tested gender, Greek status, and ethnicity as potential moderators of the physical activity-alcohol use relationship. Participants: Participants were college freshmen (n = 310) endorsing alcohol/drug use. Methods: Students completed questionnaires assessing a number of health behaviors. Results: Results indicated that gender and Greek status were significant moderators of the relationship between physical activity and alcohol consumption. There was a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use for men and Greeks, but not for females and non-Greeks. Conclusions: These findings suggest that exercise does not serve as a protective factor for any of the subgroups of college students studied and is positively associated with drinking among college students who are men and/or involved with the Greek system.     

Understanding Weight Management Perceptions in First-Year College Students Using the Health Belief Model

Abstract

Objective: To examine weight management barriers, using the Health Belief Model, in first-year college students. Participants: First-year college students (n = 45), with data collected in April, May, and November 2013. Methods: Nominal group technique sessions (n = 8) were conducted. Results: First-year students recognize benefits to weight management beyond physical attractiveness to quality-of-life domains, including social (eg, bonding opportunities and energy to socially engage) and mental health (eg, stress management). Men believe that weight management is important for career/financial reasons, whereas women voiced that it will allow them to live a full, independent life with a high level of multitasking. Men believed that their barriers were external (eg, campus resources/programs), whereas females perceived their barriers to be internal (eg, poor time management). Conclusions: College students are challenged by weight management and want the institution to provide resources, including curriculum, to help them manage their physical activity and nutrition behaviors.     

Perceived Built Environment Characteristics of On-Campus and Off-Campus Neighborhoods Associated With Physical Activity of College Students

Abstract

Objective: To identify differences in neighborhood environment and their association with physical activity (PA) levels of on-campus compared with off-campus students. Participants: Participants were 822 undergraduate students at a mid-sized mid-Atlantic university. Methods: Students completed the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale–Abbreviated and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in October 2013. Results: Lower residential density, traffic safety, and crime scores and higher land-use mix diversity, aesthetics, and lack of parking scores were reported among on-campus residents. On-campus residents reported higher levels of active transportation PA, leisure PA, and total PA. Land-use mix diversity, aesthetics, and lack of cul-de-sacs were associated with physical activity level. Conclusion: The on-campus and off-campus environments differ in ways that may impact the ability of undergraduate students to be physically active. Strategies to promote continued active transportation and leisure PA are discussed.     

Understanding Physical Activity Behavior in African American and Caucasian College Students: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Only 30% of college students meet the recommended amount of physical activity (PA) for health benefits, and this number is lower for African American students. Moreover, the correlates of PA may vary by ethnicity. Objective: In the present study, the authors tested the utility of the theory of planned behavior for explaining PA intentions and behavior in Caucasian and African American students. Participants and Methods: Participants were 238 African American (M age = 20.05 years, SD = 2.28) and 197 Caucasian (M age = 19.50 years, SD = 2.28) students who completed a baseline theory of planned behavior questionnaire and a follow-up PA measure 1 week later. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that affective (β = .23) and instrumental (β = .28) attitudes and perceived behavioral control (β = .59) were significantly predictive of intention for the Caucasian students, whereas affective attitude (β = .18) and perceived behavioral control (β = .56) were significant for African American students. Furthermore, intention (β = .33) was the lone significant predictor of PA for Caucasian students, whereas perceived behavioral control (β = .23) was the significant predictor of PA for African American students. Conclusions: These data suggest that practitioners may need to consider ethnicity when developing PA interventions for college students based on the theory of planned behavior.     

Risk Factors Associated With Overweight and Obesity in College Students

College obesity is increasing, but to the authors' knowledge, no researchers to date have evaluated risk factors in this population. Objective: The authors assessed whether abnormal eating perceptions and behaviors were associated with overweight in college students. Participants and Methods: A sample of undergraduates (N = 4,201) completed an online survey containing demographic questions and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) questionnaire. The authors stratified participants into normal-weight and overweight/obese groups and evaluated physical activity, EAT-26 score, purging behaviors, and answers to selected overweight screening questions on the basis of body mass index. A modified EAT-26 score of ≥ 11 was associated with overweight (p = .016). Results: Compared with normal-weight peers, overweight participants displayed an increased fear of bingeing, preoccupation with food, desire to be thinner, and engagement in dieting behavior. Mean body mass index also increased with age and physical inactivity (p < .001). Conclusions: Because physical inactivity, disordered eating perceptions, and disordered behaviors are associated with increased rates of overweight and obesity, identification of these risk factors in obese youths may increase understanding of weight loss barriers and facilitate the treatment of adolescent obesity.     

Living Arrangements,Knowledge of Health Risks,and Stress as Determinants of Health-Risk Behavior Among College Students

Abstract

The association of knowledge of health risks, living arrangements, and perceived stress with health-risk behaviors was examined in a sample of college students included in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey. Regressions of each health-risk behavior (dependent variable) were performed on the predicted correlates. Although knowledge was not associated with participation in physical activity or smoking, the study found that students who knew more about the harmful effects of alcohol drank less, and those with greater knowledge of health risks practiced fewer risky behaviors. Students living independently were more likely to smoke, and those living in residence halls were less like to do so. Drinking, however, was more common among students living in residence halls or independently than among those living at home. Hall residents engaged in more group physical activity than other students did, but their physical activity was unrelated to health-risk behaviors. Stress was associated with smoking but not with other health practices. The findings suggest that smoking may be less influenced by health knowledge and more associated than drinking is with a response to stress. Drinking appears to be a social activity associated with living among peers and is potentially modifiable by increased knowledge about the effects of alcohol on health.     

Assessing Overweight,Obesity, Diet,and Physical Activity in College Students

Abstract

The authors surveyed 738 college students aged 18 to 27 years to assess overweight, obesity, dietary habits, and physical activity. They used BMI (body mass index) > 25 kg/m² or BMI > 85th percentile and BMI > 30 kg/m¹ or BMI > 95th percentile to estimate overweight and obesity in those aged < 19 years. To define overweight and obesity in those > 20 years, they used BMI > 25 kg/m² and > 30 kg/m². They found overweight rates of 21.6% using BMI directly and 16.2% using BMI percentile and obesity rates of 4.9% using BMI directly and 4.2% using BMI percentile. More than 69% of the participants reported < 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and more than 67% reported < 20 g of fiber per day; participants reported physical activity on fewer than 3 d/wk. Most college students are not meeting dietary and physical activity guidelines, suggesting the need for prevention interventions and increased understanding of overweight in college students.     

浙江省高职大学生体育价值观和体育活动体验的相关性研究

通过文献资料、问卷调查、数理统计等方法对浙江省高职大学生体育价值观与体育活动体验的相关性进行了调查研究。结果显示,浙江省高职大学生的体育价值观学生认为体育能愉悦心情、促进健康、丰富生活。根据调查数据,对不同类别的高职大学生的体育价值观和体育活动的体验进行了分析与比较。     

Self-esteem,Self-focused Attention,and the Mediating Role of Fear of Negative Evaluation in College Students With and Without Asthma

Abstract

Objective: The current study investigated the mediating role of fear of negative evaluation on the relationship between self-focused attention and self-esteem among college students with and without asthma. Participants: Young adults with (n = 148) and without (n = 530) childhood-onset asthma were recruited from a college student population. Methods: Self-focused attention and fear of negative evaluation measures were completed. Participants also answered questions about inclusion in a social activity. Results: Higher levels of self-focused attention and fear of negative evaluation were associated with lower self-esteem in both groups within the context of social activity participation. Fear of negative evaluation mediated the relationship between self-consciousness and self-esteem. No significant differences were found between groups. Conclusions: Findings indicate significant relationships among self-focused attention, fear of negative evaluation, and self-esteem in the context of social activity participation. Further examination of self-esteem regarding participation in social activities among college students appears warranted.