2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Online Program

337402
Predicting collegiate populations' campus recreation facility use through individual and environmental factors


Monday, November 2, 2015

Hassan Shaikh, MPH, Baylor University, Waco, TX
Megan Patterson, PhD, Baylor Wellness Department, Baylor University, Waco, TX
M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, PhD, MCHES, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, TX
Beth Lanning, PhD, MCHES, HHPR Department, Baylor University, Waco
Introduction: Regular physical activity (PA) as recommended by the CDC helps prevent adverse health outcomes among collegiate populations. However, college students fail to meet PA recommendations. Because college PA participation is a predictor of exercise habits in later years, determining factors that contribute to PA in this population is important. Although studies have focused on individual factors in relation to college PA levels, research into the environments of on-campus recreational facilities is sparse. Because on-campus facilities provide students with easy access to PA equipment, and are the central hub for student PA, personal and environmental factors related with campus facility use should be investigated.

Methods: Undergraduate students (n=189) completed surveys measuring comfort with the recreational facility environment, PA, exercise self-efficacy (SE), and social physique anxiety (SPA). Descriptive, bivariate, and regression analyses were conducted using SPSS.

Results: The majority of our sample was white (75.6%; n=136) and female (54.7%, n=98), and 41.3% were fraternity/sorority members (n=74). Correlations revealed associations (p≤.01) between use of on-campus recreational facilities and comfort in environment (r=.543), SE (r=.424), SPA (r=.202), and days of strenuous PA (r=.470).  The regression analysis (R2=.421, p<.0001) revealed relationships between facility use and strenuous activity (b=.373, p=.001) and comfort in the environment (b=.462, p<.0001).   

Conclusion: This study supports the hypothesis that a student’s comfort in their environment is an important factor when predicting recreational facility use. Additionally, strenuous exercisers are more likely to use facilities compared to their less active counterparts.  Future research should further investigate the environment’s role in collegiate PA.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify environmental predictors that relate to college students’ use of campus recreational facilities. Identify individual predictors that relate to college students’ use of campus recreational facilities. Discuss potential recommendations that can be made at on-campus recreational facilities to encourage PA participation among college populations.

Keyword(s): College Students, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal researcher of the submitted abstract, and am a student who conducted all the research with supervision from the three listed co-authors. Among my scientific interests are physical activity participation, campus environments, and college student's body image perceptions.
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.

Back to: 3316.0: PHEHP Student Research Awards