title: Are total, intensity- and domain-specific physical activity levels associated with life satisfaction among university students?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thorough information about the relationship between physical activity (PA) and life satisfaction is still lacking. Therefore, this study examined the cross-sectional relationships between life satisfaction and meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) moderate to vigorous-intensity PA recommendations, total volume and duration of PA, intensity-specific PA (walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity), domain-specific PA (work, transport-related, domestic, and leisure-time), and 11 domain and intensity-specific PA types among university students. Additionally, we examined the associations between life satisfaction and gender, age, disposable income, community size, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), and self-rated health.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a random sample of 1750 university students in Zagreb, Croatia (response rate = 71.7%; 62.4% females; mean age 21.5 ± 1.8 years), using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher life satisfaction was associated with female gender (β = 0.13; p = <0.001), younger age (β = -0.07; p = 0.024), higher disposable income (β = 0.10; p = 0.001), and better self-rated health (β = 0.30; p = <0.001). No significant association was found between life satisfaction and size of community (p = 0.567), smoking status (p = 0.056), alcohol consumption (p = 0.058), or BMI (p = 0.508). Among all PA variables, only leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA was significantly associated with life satisfaction after adjustments for socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and self-rated general health (β = 0.06; p = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated a weak positive relationship between leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA and life satisfaction, whilst no such association was found for other PA variables. These findings underscore the importance of analyzing domain and intensity-specific PA levels in future studies among university students, as drawing conclusions about the relationship between PA and life satisfaction based on total PA levels only may be misleading.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Željko
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Pedišić
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Centre for Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zrinka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Greblo
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Philayrath
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phongsavan
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Adrian E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bauman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult