Undergraduate ( n = 561) and graduate ( n = 104) students at a large mid-Atlantic university were surveyed to determine their usage patterns and beliefs about the climate of a newly constructed student recreation center (SRC) on their campus. Analyses attempted to identify differences between those students who used the facility ( n = 547) and those who did not ( n = 118) in relation to gender, age, year on campus, stage of change for exercise, and motivational orientation. Results revealed that SRC users were at higher stages along the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) and were significantly more likely to have participated in high school athletics than non-users. Non-users were significantly more likely to live off-campus, smoke, and be female than SRC users. The discussion offers suggestions for enticing non-users to exercise and use the facility, and feel more comfortable while doing so.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence on college students of various factors such as exercise experience in high school, acquisition of physical activity class credits in university, current physical activity, and barriers to exercise behaviors. Another purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the confidence that exercise will be maintained after college graduation and exercise experience in high school, current physical activity, and barriers to exercise behaviors. Seven hundred twenty-eight college students participated in this study. Results indicated that students who were male, regularly exercised in high school, and had taken or intended to take university physical activity classes were more likely to exercise regularly compared with students who were female, did not exercise regularly in high school, and had not taken or had no intention to take physical activity classes. The students who exercised regularly scored lower on barriers to exercise behaviors (lack of physical resources and personal internal constraints) . Additionally, students who regularly exercised in high school or who currently exercise regularly reported a higher confidence that exercise will be maintained than students who did not exercise regularly in high school or who do not currently exercise regularly. However, no relationship was reported between confidence that exercise will be maintained and acquisition of physical activity class credits in college. Regarding barriers to exercise behaviors, lack of physical resources predicted the confidence for male students, and personal internal constraints predicted the confidence that exercise will be maintained for male and female students. Therefore, universities should prepare more fitness facilities or advertise various fitness facilities that are available for students on campus. Additionally, students who do not regularly exercise should be encouraged to start light exercise and learn time management skills so that they can eventually increase their physical activity levels and enhance the likelihood that they will continue exercise after college graduation.

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