Freshman physical activity constraints are related to the current health behaviors and outcomes of college upperclassmen.

COLLEGE students; OBESITY; AEROBIC capacity; LIFESTYLES; MOTIVATION (Psychology); OXYGEN consumption; MULTIPLE regression analysis; ONE-way analysis of variance; RACE; PHYSICAL fitness; PHYSICAL activity; SEX distribution; SURVEYS; T-test (Statistics); HEALTH behavior; EXERCISE; UNIVERSITIES & colleges; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; QUESTIONNAIRES; DATA analysis software; ADIPOSE tissues

Objective Examine differences in physical activity (PA) constraints experienced as freshmen among college upperclassmen based on sex, race/ethnicity, adiposity, and fitness. Participants and methods: Upperclassmen (n = 524) from self-reported demographics, PA, subjective changes in PA, and freshman PA constraints via an online survey, and had adiposity and predicted aerobic fitness objectively assessed. Results: Self-reported reductions in PA since high school and freshmen year were associated with a lack of motivation as a freshman, lower current PA levels, and poorer aerobic fitness compared to those who maintained or increased PA. Women were less active than men and reported greater constraints, while non-Hispanic white students had greater vigorous PA than minority students. Multiple regression analyses revealed that motivation constraints predicted PA regardless of sex and race/ethnicity. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of college administrators and health promoters alleviating freshman PA constraints, particularly among women, to promote the adoption of an active lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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