Physical activity-related beliefs and discrepancies between beliefs and physical activity behavior for various chronic diseases.
BACKGROUND
We have a limited understanding of factors that may explain the discrepancy between believing physical activity (PA) may help prevent various chronic diseases and actually engaging sufficient PA to prevent such diseases. Similarly, few studies have examined potential discrepancies between engaging in PA to help prevent chronic disease and actual compliance with PA recommendations. Lastly, our understanding of whether young adults believe that evidence-based PA strategies are indeed effective is limited. We address these gaps in the literature.


METHODS
231 undergraduate college students completed a survey assessing all study parameters.


RESULTS
Main findings include: (a) Most students believed that PA could help to prevent various cardiovascular chronic diseases, with less of an understanding of the beneficial effects of PA on cancer and neurological conditions; (b) most students believed that PA evidenced-based strategies would help to facilitate PA; and (c) participants with a higher BMI were more likely to have a discrepancy between their belief and PA.


CONCLUSIONS
Educational messages to college students with a higher BMI may wish to focus less on the benefits of PA (with the exception of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases), but more on the provision and utilization of PA-related evidenced-based strategies.
Center for Health Behavior Research, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States. Electronic address: pdloprin@olemiss.edu.
Paul D
PD
Loprinzi
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, United States.
Teena
T
Darnell
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, United States.
Kathy
K
Hager
Peggy and Charles Stephenson Endowed Chair in Cancer Deputy Director for Tobacco Research and Director, Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center Stephenson Cancer Center Associate Professor, Section of Preventive Medicine Department of Family & Preventive Medicine University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
Jennifer I
JI
Vidrine
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
Behavior; Chronic disease; Knowledge