Exercise Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of College Students

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Exercise Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of
College Students

• by

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Purposes of the Study

• To evaluate the differences between males and
  females with respect to exercise knowledge,
  attitudes, and behaviors
• To evaluate whether or not exercise knowledge
  predicts exercise attitudes and behaviors

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Sample

• Consisted of 55 undergraduate students enrolled
  in Foundations of Human Health
• 34.5 of the subjects were males (n 19)
• 65.5 of the subjects were females (n 36)
• Subjects ranged from 18 to 40 years of age

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Instrumentation

• The survey was reviewed by a panel of graduate
  students enrolled in a Health Education
  Evaluation course
• Many of the survey questions were based on
  recommendations from the ACSM
• The survey was characterized by both satisfactory
  face and content validity as well as favorable
  reliability (i.e. .8543)

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Methodology

• Involved a cross-sectional study design
• Subjects received a cover letter indicating that
  their participation was both voluntary and
  anonymous
• Subjects completed a survey addressing their
  exercise knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

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Results from Independent Samples t-tests

• There were no significant differences between
  males and females with respect to exercise
  knowledge and attitudes
• Males (mean 3.5) reported making exercise more
  of a priority in their lives than females (mean
  2.9)
• Males (mean 2.7) reported engaging in exercises
  designed to build muscular strength more often
  than females (mean 2.0)
• Males (mean 2.7) reported engaging in
  recreational activities more often than females
  (mean 2.2)

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Results from Linear Regression Analyses

• Exercise knowledge,
• F (53) .42, p .71, and exercise
  attitudes,
• F (53) .003, p .95, did not predict
  exercise behaviors

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Conclusions

• Health educators need to encourage female college
  students to make exercise a priority in their
  lives
• Health educators should strive to promote
  muscular strength exercises among female college
  students
• Health educators need to emphasize the health
  benefits of incorporating recreational activities
  into the lifestyles of female college students

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Recommendations

• There is a need for interventions to target the
  exercise behaviors of female college students
• Health educators need to incorporate muscular
  strength exercises into the social norms of
  female college students by coordinating
  instructional programs specifically tailored for
  them
• Health educators need to assist female college
  students in seeking out recreational
  opportunities

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Limitations

• Unequal distribution of males and females due to
  a sample of convenience
• Self-report bias

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Future Research

• More research is needed to further investigate
  the exercise behaviors of female college students
• Additional research is needed to examine factors
  that predict exercise behaviors among college
  students