Online Program

324480
Physical activity and perceived community environments in college students


Monday, November 2, 2015

Gwang Suk Kim, RN, PhD, Collge of Nursing, Nursing Policy Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752, Korea, Republic of (South)
Background: Community environments have been considered as significant factors of physical activity (PA). College students’ level of PA showed a downward tendency throughout their college years. This study investigated the association between perceived community environments of college students’ residence and their PA. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. The survey questionnaire measured PA, community environments for PA, self-efficacy toward exercise, and related variables. Three hundred sixty four students, 151 male and 213 female, completed the questionnaires. Their PA was classified in three categories as inactive, low, and medium-high. Results: The mean PA level was 3,011±2,476 MET-min/week, and more than half was low intensity (56.2%). Total level of perceived community environments not differed significantly among three groups of PA. However, the mean of three items belonged to two characteristics of community environments differed significantly among three groups of PA. In the medium-high intensity of PA group, they perceived higher levels of ‘access to destination’ and ‘recreation facilities’ than the levels of them that low intensity of PA group perceived (p < .05). On the other hand, perceived community environments for PA were positively correlated with self-efficacy (p < .05). Conclusion: Some characteristics of community environments were found to be associated with PA in college students. Based on the findings, the authors suggest that Korean public health providers should promote safer and more activity friendly environments by a multidisciplinary approach and policy making.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Environmental health sciences
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related nursing
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
List two characteristics of community environments that associated with physical activity in college students.

Keyword(s): College Students, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator of this study was supported by Department Research Program from the College of Nursing at Yonsei University. There are not any kind of conflicts to report.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.