Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #103836

Fangfang Diao and Itzhak Yanovitzky, PhD. Department of Communication, Rutgers University, 4 Huntington St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071, 732-932-7500 x 8020, fangfang@scils.rutgers.edu

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has dramatically increased among all segments of the US population in the past two decades and remains a major public health concern. Data from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey suggests that a high proportion of college students do not meet the recommended standard of 30 min/d of physical activity on most days. The purpose of this study is to examine college students' motivations to engage in physical activity and to assess the role of peer influence in predicting college students' personal involvement in physical activity. Particular attention was given to the relative weight of perceptions about physical activity of distant vs. proximate peers in the prediction of college students' personal level of physical activity. The results of analyzing cross-sectional data collected from a sample of college students at a large public northeastern university (N = 188) show that college students engaged in physical activity not only because they wanted to lose or maintain weight and live a healthy life, but also because they wanted to meet new people and be with friends (i.e., need for affiliation). Research findings also suggest that perceived level of physical activity by proximate peers (best friends and friends) was a stronger predictor of student's personal involvement in physical activity than perceived level of physical activity by distant peers (students on campus, students in general, and same-age peers). The theoretical and practical implications for developing health communication interventions to better promote physical activity are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify college students' motivations to engage in physical activity
• Assess the role of peer influence in predicting college students' personal involvement in physical activity
• Develop health communication interventions that will better promote physical activity among college students

Keywords: Physical Activity, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.