Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in University Students–The Role of Gender, Age, Field of Study, Targeted Degree, and Study Semester

Edelmann, Dennis; Pfirrmann, Daniel; Heller, Sebastian; Dietz, Pavel; Reichel, Jennifer L.; Werner, Antonia M.; Schäfer, Markus; Tibubos, Ana Nanette; Deci, Nicole; Letzel, Stephan; Simon, Perikles; Kalo, Kristin

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.821703

Cited by 31 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Sedentary lifestyles can negatively impact students’ health, increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, and poor academic performance ( 10 , 23 ). Numerous studies have confirmed the importance of physical exercise in promoting health, constituting an essential component in global intervention strategies, integrating health policies in developed and developing countries ( 10 , 21 , 57 , 58 ). In the current study, the results indicate less physical activity and align with trends observed in previous studies ( 10 , 19–21 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body mass index and healthy lifestyle practices among Peruvian university students: a comparative study among academic discipline

Saintila,

Calizaya-Milla,

Carranza-Cubas

et al. 2024

Front. Nutr.

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BackgroundExcess body weight and an unhealthy lifestyle are a risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. University students are susceptible to unhealthy habits and obesity. This study compared body mass index (BMI) and healthy lifestyle practices among university students from four academic disciplines: Health Sciences, Business Sciences, Human Sciences and Education, and Engineering/Architecture.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out using a sample of 6,642 university students selected by non-probability convenience sampling. The Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS), the Peruvian validation of the Vegetarian Lifestyle Index (VLI), was used to assess healthy lifestyle practices.ResultsStudents in the areas of Business Sciences and Engineering/Architecture had a higher BMI than their peers in Health Sciences (B = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15–0.56 and 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13–0.52; p = 0.001). Additionally, these students tended to adopt less healthy lifestyle (B = −0.11, 95% CI: −0.20 to −0.01 and −0.09, 95% CI: −0.18 to −0.00; p < 0.05) compared to those in Health Sciences.ConclusionAlthough students of Health Sciences and Human Sciences and Education exhibited healthy lifestyle patterns, there is a clear need to improve eating and living habits in general among the university population to mitigate the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body mass index and healthy lifestyle practices among Peruvian university students: a comparative study among academic discipline

Saintila,

Calizaya-Milla,

Carranza-Cubas

et al. 2024

Front. Nutr.

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“…Sedentary behaviors in the presented study expressed as a total sitting component (min per week) were worse than other Polish student populations [ 48 ] and Scandinavian students. Some studies showed a significant difference between male and female students regarding PA but not regarding sedentary behaviors [ 53 ]. The presented study is in partial agreement with Edelmann et al, suggesting that there are no sex differences in total PA and total sitting behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Congruence between Physical Activity Patterns and Dietary Patterns Inferred from Analysis of Sex Differences in Lifestyle Behaviors of Late Adolescents from Poland: Cophylogenetic Approach

Domaradzki

2023

Nutrients

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Global trends toward physical inactivity and the replacement of healthy dietary behaviors with unhealthy food consumption, particularly in late adolescence, were commonly observed. Thus, the aim of this work was twofold: (1) to examine congruence between PAPs and DPs by identifying sex differences in healthy and unhealthy behaviors and (2) to assess the explanation behind why certain participants were classified into clusters using BMI and fat mass covariates. Late adolescents (19–21 years of age, n = 107) were selected to study. PAPs and DPs were assessed with questionnaires (IPAQ, QEB) and body height, weight, and fat mass percentage were self-reported (the accuracy and reliability of self-reported data were empirically verified). A cophylogenetic approach with several clustering procedures (heatmaps and tanglegrams) was the way to solve the stated problems. Results showed that students achieved the minimal level of physical activity, lower than students from other regions in Poland, Czech Republic, or Germany. There was congruence between PAPs and DPs in some males’ and females’ behaviors. Significant similarities in sex patterns of behaviors were revealed (Mantel tests–PAPs: r = 0.70, p < 0.001; DPs: r = 0.84, p < 0.001). Similarities in PAPs were related to transportation cycling and school/work activities behaviors. Non-healthy triads in dietary behaviors were found: fast-food, sweetened beverages, and alcoholic drinks in the first, and sweets, fried meals, and yellow cheese in the second. One healthy diad was revealed: vegetables and fruits. Only females’ dietary behaviors were reflected in body mass index (F = 3.19, p = 0.049), percentage of body fat (F = 3.87, p = 0.027), and fat mass index (F = 3.83, p = 0.028). The usefulness of the cophenetic approach in patterns study was verified. Sex similarities and specific disparities could help preparing targeted tailored intervention programs that improve healthy habits in late adolescents. This is especially important in relation to females, who more strongly reflected dietary behaviors in body composition.

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“…De Souza et al [9] observed a prevalence of physical inactivity of 67% and 34% in medicine and physical education students, respectively. Similarly, other studies have also reported insufficient physical activity levels in undergraduate students and they have been shown to be associated with health outcomes such as depression and daytime sleepiness [12][13][14]. In this scenario, it is reasonable to speculate that physically inactive undergraduate students may show mental disorders and, consequently, poor quality of life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Physically Inactive Undergraduate Students Exhibit More Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Poor Quality of Life than Physically Active Students

Santana

Neves

Souza

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 min of moderate or vigorous activity (MVPA) per week for health benefits. However, meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity has been shown to be a great challenge for general populations and it may be even more difficult for undergraduate students due to elevated academic demand, thus negatively affecting general health status. Thus, this study investigated whether undergraduate students meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity show greater scores for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life than their counterparts not meeting guideline recommendations. Additionally, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life among academic areas were compared. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The participants were recruited through messaging apps or institutional e-mail. The participants filled out an online consent form, questionnaires to assess demographic and academic characteristics, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Beck depression and anxiety inventory, and the short-form 36-item health survey questionnaire. The participants were classified as physically active (MVPA > 150 min/week) or inactive (MVPA < 150 min/week) according to WHO Guidelines. Results: A total of 371 individuals were included in the analysis. Physically inactive students demonstrated higher scores of depression (17.96 vs. 14.62; 95% CI: −5.81 to −0.86; p = 0.0083) than physically active ones. SF-36 analyses revealed that physically inactive students had lower values in mental (45.68 vs. 52.77; 95% CI: 2.10 to 12.06; p = 0.0054) and physical (59.37 vs. 67.14; 95% CI: 3.24 to 12.30; p = 0.0015) domains compared with physically active ones. As for SF-36 subscales, physically inactive students showed lower scores in function capacity (70.45 vs. 79.70; 95% CI: 4.27 to 14.49; p = 0.0003), mental health (45.57 vs. 55.60; 95% CI: 5.28 to 14.76; p < 0.0001), social aspects (48.91 vs. 57.69; 95%CI: 3.47 to 14.08; p = 0.0012), vitality (42.19 vs. 50.61; 95% CI: 3.47 to 13.35; p = 0.0009), pain (61.85 vs. 68.00; 95% CI: 1.27 to 11.02; p = 0.0135), and general health status (53.82 vs. 63.81; 95% CI: 5.21 to 14.75; p < 0.0001) than their physically active peers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that undergraduate students who do not meet WHO guidelines for physical activity display higher scores of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life in comparison with their counterparts meeting physical activity guidelines. Collectively, these data suggest the need for academic institutions and policy makers to monitor and promote in-campus interventions to encourage physical activity.

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Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in University Students–The Role of Gender, Age, Field of Study, Targeted Degree, and Study Semester

Cited by 31 publications

References 61 publications

Body mass index and healthy lifestyle practices among Peruvian university students: a comparative study among academic discipline

Body mass index and healthy lifestyle practices among Peruvian university students: a comparative study among academic discipline

Congruence between Physical Activity Patterns and Dietary Patterns Inferred from Analysis of Sex Differences in Lifestyle Behaviors of Late Adolescents from Poland: Cophylogenetic Approach

Physically Inactive Undergraduate Students Exhibit More Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Poor Quality of Life than Physically Active Students

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