Insufficiently active Australian college students: Perceived personal, social, and environmental influences

Background. A sustainable pattern of participation in physical activity is important in the maintenance of health and prevention of disease, College s tudents are in transition from an active youth to a more sedentary adult be havior pattern. Methods. We assessed self-reported physical activity and other characterist ics in a sample of 2,729 male and female students (median age was 20 years) recruited from representative courses and year levels at four Australian C ollege campuses. They were categorized as sufficiently or insufficiently ac tive, using estimates of energy expenditure (kcal/week) derived from self-r eported physical activity, Personal factors (self-efficacy, job status, enj oyment), social factors (social support from family/friends), and environme ntal factors (awareness of facilities, gym membership) were also assessed. Results. Forty-seven percent of females and 32% of males were insufficientl y active. For females, the significant independent predictors of being insu fficiently active were lower social support from family and friends, lower enjoyment of activity, and not working. For males, predictors were lower so cial support from family and friends, lower enjoyment of activity, and bein g older. Conclusions. Factors associated with physical activity participation (parti cularly social support from family and friends) can inform physical activit y strategies directed at young adults in the college setting. (C) 1999 Amer ican Health Foundation and Academic Press.