Physical activity context and university student's propensity to meet the guidelines Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American College of Sports Medicine.
BACKGROUND
Previous research shows that exercise context is important for exercise adherence--exercising alone is associated with reduced adherence whereas exercising with others is associated with increased adherence. The purpose of the study was to examine whether exercising in one or a combination of four contexts for physical activity (in a structured class, with others outside of a structured class, alone but in an exercise setting, and completely alone) is related to the degree to which university students meet prescribed (i.e., CDC/ACSM) guidelines for aerobic activity.


METHODS
Males (n=196) and females (n=398) completed a self-reported physical activity questionnaire pertaining to the frequency, intensity and duration of their activity in the four contexts outlined above.


RESULTS
A positive relationship was found between the percentage of students meeting CDC/ACSM Guidelines and the number of contexts in which physical activity was undertaken. That is, a small percentage (9.9%) were active in a single context (i.e., only one context out of a possible four), with the majority of those (5.9%) engaging in physical activity with others outside of a structured setting. A larger percentage (28.9%) were active in two contexts, while 61.2% were active in three or more contexts.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care professionals interested in motivating the physically inactive to become more active and the physically active to maintain activity at a frequency, intensity, and duration sufficient to meet the CDC/ACSM guidelines ought to promote opportunities for physical activity in a variety of social contexts.
Burke
Shauna M
SM
The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada. sburke7@uwo.ca
Carron
Albert V
AV
Eys
Mark A
MA
D000328:Adult; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities