An investigation into university students’ physical activity levels: Case of Amasya

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-367
Author(s):  
İskender Güler ◽  
Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaira Barranco-Ruiz ◽  
Carolina Cruz León ◽  
Emilio Villa-González ◽  
Ximena Palma Leal ◽  
Palma Chillón ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Active commuting to and from university (ACU) could be a strategy to increase physical activity levels (PA) and promote health in young university students. We aimed to a) examine the patterns of commuting to university in Chilean students; b) the association between the mode of commuting to and from university and socio-demographic factors and PA-levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 496 university students (21.6 ± 2.4 years old) from two universities from Valparaíso (central coast of Chile) participated in this study. Personal data, home address, socio-economic status, PA, and the usual mode of commuting to and from the university were self-reported by a questionnaire. The commute distances were objectively measured using Google-Maps-software. Associations were examined using binary logistic regressions. Results: The main mode of commuting was by bus (to university: 55.2% vs. from university: 59.3%; p < 0.001). The least used mode was cycling (1.4% to and from university). Students living >5-km from university were less active commuters than those living in closer distances: (2–5 km, odds ratio (OR): 4.424, 95% and 95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.443–8.011, p < 0.001; 2 km, OR: 143.052, 95% CI: 55.154–371.030, p < 0.001). Students with low PA-levels were less active commuters than those with medium (OR: 1.446; 95% CI: 0.864–2.421; p = 0.160) or higher levels (OR: 1.880; 95% CI: 1.880–1.094; p = 0.022). Students who lived between 2 and 5 km, presented a significant association to be active commuters when they showed medium PA-levels (OR: 5.244, 95% CI: 1.358–20.246; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Chilean university students from Valparaíso are mainly passive commuters using public transport as the main mode of commuting to and from university; longer distances from home to the university are associated with low PA levels. ACU in distances between 2–5 km (mainly walking) could contribute to having medium PA-levels in Chilean university students. Thus, promoting the ACU walking to and from the university in such distances could be an effective strategy to increase the overall PA levels in Chilean university students.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 487-492
Author(s):  
Boryana Tumanova

The imperative for taking action to increase physical activity is clear. No European Union country has a prevalence of overweight and obesity below 50%, and childhood obesity is a major concern throughout the continent. The European Union has long increasingly emphasized the sociological, physiological and psychological benefits of sport. The integration of sports into the universities educational curriculum in most European pedagogical systems has resulted in high levels of sport practice among the youth. However, as young people enter higher education many member-states face a problem with withdrawal in participation. At the same time in many resent researches, scientists warn that the fitness level of young generation is far from good. There are many reasons behind the low motivation of young people to participate in sport classes. The universities policy makers and sport departments can play an important role by finding new motivational engines which will make sport classes more attractive to students. “Te(a)chIn Sport” project was developed and granted by the European Commission in 2017. The project general objective is to raise awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) of young people through increased participation in sports by using innovative technologies in university sport classes. In the high-tech era, we live in today, the wearable technology market is booming. Now people are able to find all kind of information at their fingertips via smart phones, fitness activity tracers and many other devices. Especially young people find a lot of excitement in using all kind of applications for which they spend the most of their free time. The represented research is a part of “Te(a)chIn Sport” project, granted by the Erasmus + Sport Program of the European Commission, in which “St. Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia is the leading partner. The article shows the results of a feasibility study on Sofia University’ students’ physical activity levels, their preferences and opinion about the sport classes and sport services offered at the University and the local area as well as their interest in using smart devices in sport classes. Participants were 200 Sofia University’ students (of which 122 female and 78 male in the age of 18 to 25 years) in different years of their bachelor studies in a variety of subjects. All of them enlisted in different sport classes for 2017-2018 school year. For the purposes of the study has been used the Descriptive - explicative method. For analyzing the received data, the Frequencies (f) and Percent’s (%) analyses have been applied. The results show that students do not exercise on regular bases and that the use of smart devices in sport classes will make them more attractive to young people.


Author(s):  
Hideki Shimamoto ◽  
Masataka Suwa ◽  
Koh Mizuno

In Japan and other developed countries, the lifestyles of many—particularly the younger generation—have been disrupted in recent years. This disruption may manifest as a decrease in physical activity and deterioration in the quality and quantity of sleep. Depressive tendencies are also increasing among university students. This study examined the relationship between mental health, physical activity, physical fitness, and daytime sleepiness. Eighty-five undergraduate students participated in this study (52 men and 33 women, aged 18.9 (±1.4) years). Physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer (Lifecorder, Kenz, Nagoya, Japan) for two weeks. To evaluate their level of physical fitness, maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) was calculated by an indirect method using a cycle ergometer. Depressive tendencies and daytime sleepiness were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 score was positively correlated with sleepiness (r = 0.35, p = 0.001) and total steps per day (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Moreover, the PHQ-9 score was positively correlated with V˙O2max (r = 0.25, p = 0.019). The PHQ-9 score was higher in students with good exercise habits or part-time jobs. An important finding was the positive correlation between depression and variables related to physical activity levels. These results suggest that vigorous physical activity, such as exercise and part-time jobs, might be positively associated with depressive tendencies among university students.


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