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The Influence of Motivators and Barriers to Exercise on Attaining Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Guidelines among Canadian Undergraduate Students.

ABSTRACT: Canadian 24 h movement guidelines recommend engaging in >150 min/week of moderate-vigorous-intensity physical activity and ≤8 h/day of sedentary time. Half of Canadian post-secondary students do not meet physical activity or sedentary time guidelines. This pan-Canadian study aimed to (1) identify commonly cited motivators/barriers to exercise, and (2) determine which motivators/barriers were most influential for attaining physical and sedentary activity guidelines. A total of 341 respondents (279 females, 23 ± 4 years old, 53% met activity guidelines, 49% met sedentary guidelines) completed an online survey regarding undergraduate student lifestyle behaviours. Improved physical health (74% of respondents), mental health (67%), physical appearance (60%), and athletic performance (28%) were the most common motivators to exercise. The most common barriers were school obligations (68%), time commitments (58%), job obligations (32%), and lack of available fitness classes (26%). Students citing improved athletic performance (odds ratio (OR) = 1.94, p = 0.02) were more likely to adhere to activity guidelines, while those who selected physical health (OR = 0.56, p = 0.03) and physical appearance (OR = 0.46, p = 0.001) as motivators were less likely to meet activity guidelines. Students who cited school obligations as a barrier were less likely (OR = 0.59, p = 0.03) to meet sedentary guidelines. The motivators and barriers identified provide a foundation for university-led initiatives aimed at promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary time among undergraduate students. Strategies that positively re-frame students' physical health and appearance-based motivations for exercise may be particularly useful in helping more students achieve national activity recommendations.

SUBMITTER: Pellerine LP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9566408 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Influence of Motivators and Barriers to Exercise on Attaining Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Guidelines among Canadian Undergraduate Students.

Pellerine Liam P LP Bray Nick W NW Fowles Jonathon R JR Furlano Joyla A JA Morava Anisa A Nagpal Taniya S TS O'Brien Myles W MW

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220927 19

Canadian 24 h movement guidelines recommend engaging in >150 min/week of moderate-vigorous-intensity physical activity and ≤8 h/day of sedentary time. Half of Canadian post-secondary students do not meet physical activity or sedentary time guidelines. This pan-Canadian study aimed to (1) identify commonly cited motivators/barriers to exercise, and (2) determine which motivators/barriers were most influential for attaining physical and sedentary activity guidelines. A total of 341 respondents (27 ...[more]

PMID: 36231525

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Project description:Background: Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that presents as sustained or intermittent involuntary muscle contractions causing abnormal postures and movements. Knowledge of dystonia is mostly at the impairment level with minimal understanding of activity and participation limitations. Physical activity (PA) is an important aspect of neurological disease management, with wide-ranging benefits for overall health and quality of life. No studies have quantified PA and sedentary behavior (SB), nor explored barriers to being physically active in people with dystonia. Methods: Participants diagnosed with any form of dystonia completed a mixed-methods anonymous online survey on activity behaviors. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Adult Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) assessed self-reported PA and SB. Barriers to exercise engagement were investigated according to the five-factor social-ecological framework and dystonia-specific questions regarding the impact of exercise on symptoms were included. Results: Two-hundred and sixty-three participants consented to the study (mean (SD) age = 55 (13) years, 76% Female). A large proportion of respondents (40%) reported living with cervical dystonia (CD). Overall, the median (IQR) time spent in walking, moderate, and vigorous activity was 60 (0-120), 120 (15-300), and 0 (0-13) min/day, respectively. SB time during weekdays was 285.0 (157.5-465.0) min/day and 345.0 (195.0-502.5) min/day on weekends. Fifty-five percent of participants were dissatisfied with their current level of PA and 75% reported dystonia had decreased their level of PA. Fifty-seven percent found their symptoms were worsened during exercise though the after-effects on symptoms varied. Fatigue, motor symptoms, pain, and poor balance were commonly cited limiting factors. Qualitative and quantitative data indicated difficulties with more vigorous intensity activity. The common barriers to engagement were personal and governmental factors, such as physical impairments, lack of funding and lack of trained exercise professionals. Conclusion: While more than half of respondents indicated they were not satisfied with their current level of PA, and exercise primarily worsened their dystonia symptoms, most participants were meeting the minimum guidelines. Future studies should incorporate robust objective methods of PA and SB measurement and explore the causal mechanisms underpinning exercise-induced aggravation of dystonic symptoms to further enhance life participation of people living with dystonia.

Project description:BackgroundDespite the well-documented benefits of regular physical activity (PA), many university students are physically inactive. Personal, socio-economic, and environmental factors predict PA engagement behaviours in university students. There is a need to understand context-specific perceived barriers and benefits to exercise engagement and physical activity levels amongst university students from low-income settings. This study primarily evaluated the barriers and facilitators to PA engagement in Zimbabwean undergraduate students. We also assessed the correlates of perceived barriers and benefits to PA engagement, risk of common mental disorders (CMDs) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).MethodsWe used a cross-sectional study to recruit 465 university undergraduate students. The Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Shona Symptoms Questionnaire (SSQ-8) and EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ5D-5l) were used to measure barriers and facilitators, physical activity level, risk of depression and anxiety and HRQoL, respectively. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics and logistic regression.Results and conclusionMost participants were male (58.5%) with a mean age of 21.7 (SD 1.6) years. Majority of the participants were first year students (37.2%), consumed alcohol (66.5%), did not smoke (88.2%) and had a normal BMI (64.7%). The prevalence of low PA levels was 17.4%, with 33.5% of students at risk of CMDs. The most perceived benefits were in the physical performance (e.g., exercise improves my level of physical fitness) and life enhancement (e.g., exercise improves my self-concept) domains, while the most perceived barriers were lack of exercise infrastructure (e.g., exercise facilities do not have convenient schedules) and physical exertion (e.g., exercise tires me). Food insecurity (AOR 2.51: 95% CI 1.62-3.88) and the risk of CMDs (AOR 0.49: 95% CI 0.32-0.76) were associated with increased odds of experiencing barriers to exercise. Not using substances (AOR = 2.14: 95% CI 1.11-4.14) and a higher self-rated HRQoL (AOR 24.34: 95% CI 1.77-335.13) were associated with increased odds of a high perception of exercise benefits. Improving access to community and on-campus exercise facilities and campus-wide health promotional interventions is necessary to enhance PA amongst university students.

Dataset Information

The Influence of Motivators and Barriers to Exercise on Attaining Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Guidelines among Canadian Undergraduate Students.

Publications

The Influence of Motivators and Barriers to Exercise on Attaining Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Guidelines among Canadian Undergraduate Students.

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