TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical activity, mental and personal well-being, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability in university students: The Scottish and British active students surveys
AU - Budzynski-Seymour, Emily
AU - Conway, Rebecca
AU - Wade, Matthew
AU - Lucas, Alex
AU - Jones, Michelle
AU - Mann, Steve
AU - Steele, James
N1 - Funding Information: The Scottish Active Student Survey was funded by Scottish Student Sport, and the British Active Student Survey was funded by British Universities and Colleges Sport, Scottish Student Sport, and Precor.
PY - 2020/6
Y1 - 2020/6
N2 - Background: Physical activity (PA) promotes health and well-being. For students, university represents a transitional period, including increased independence over lifestyle behaviors, in addition to new stressors and barriers to engaging in PA. It is, therefore, important to monitor PA trends in students to gain a greater understanding about the role it might play in physical and mental well-being, as well as other factors, such as attainment and employability. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2016 in Scottish universities and colleges, and in 2017 in universities and colleges across the United Kingdom, and the data were pooled for the present study (N = 11,650). Cumulative ordinal logistic regression was used to model the association between PA levels and mental and personal well-being, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability. Results: Only 51% of the respondents met the recommended levels of moderate to vigorous PA per week. There was a linear relationship between PA levels and all outcomes, with better scores in more active students. Conclusions: UK university students are insufficiently active compared with the general population of 16- to 24-year olds. Yet, students with higher PA report better outcomes for mental and personal well-being, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability.
AB - Background: Physical activity (PA) promotes health and well-being. For students, university represents a transitional period, including increased independence over lifestyle behaviors, in addition to new stressors and barriers to engaging in PA. It is, therefore, important to monitor PA trends in students to gain a greater understanding about the role it might play in physical and mental well-being, as well as other factors, such as attainment and employability. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2016 in Scottish universities and colleges, and in 2017 in universities and colleges across the United Kingdom, and the data were pooled for the present study (N = 11,650). Cumulative ordinal logistic regression was used to model the association between PA levels and mental and personal well-being, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability. Results: Only 51% of the respondents met the recommended levels of moderate to vigorous PA per week. There was a linear relationship between PA levels and all outcomes, with better scores in more active students. Conclusions: UK university students are insufficiently active compared with the general population of 16- to 24-year olds. Yet, students with higher PA report better outcomes for mental and personal well-being, social isolation, and perceptions of academic attainment and employability.
KW - Physical education
KW - Sport
KW - Wellness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086087127&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/jpah.2019-0431
DO - 10.1123/jpah.2019-0431
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 610
EP - 620
JO - Journal of Physical Activity and Health
JF - Journal of Physical Activity and Health
SN - 1543-3080
IS - 6
ER -