title: Ecological analysis of college women's physical activity and health-related quality of life.
abstract: Despite significant health benefits of regular physical activity, over 60 percent of college women do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines to promote their health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a comprehensive construct including physical and psychosocial health functioning. The major purpose of this study was to examine the influences of individual (e.g., self-efficacy, enjoyment), social (e.g., family and friend support), and physical environmental factors (e.g., crime safety) on college women's physical activity and HRQoL. Participants were 235 (Mean age = 21.0 years) college women from a public research university located in the southwest region of the United States. They completed validated surveys assessing their perceptions of physical activity, HRQoL, and social ecological factors during the spring semester of 2012. The findings of three multiple linear regressions, entering individual factors first, followed by social and physical environmental factors, revealed that self-efficacy and crime safety were significantly related to physical activity. For HRQoL-physical functioning, significant factors were self-efficacy, enjoyment, and crime safety. Enjoyment was the only factor related to HRQoL-psychosocial functioning. These findings indicated that physical activity professionals need to foster safe environments, enhance self-efficacy, and provide enjoyable activities to promote college women's physical activity and HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation , University of North Texas , Denton , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8963-336X
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b Uplift Heights Preparatory, Uplift Education , Irving , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation , University of North Texas , Denton , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.affiliation: c Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA.
authors.forename: Christy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greenleaf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D020377:Self Efficacy; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: College women; health-related quality of life; physical activity; social ecological model; well-being