Evaluation of a university course aimed at promoting exercise behavior

Area of Science:

• Health and Physical Education
• Behavioral Science
• Exercise Science

Background:

• University-required courses aim to influence student health behaviors.
• Lifetime Fitness for Health (LFH) courses are designed to promote long-term exercise habits.
• Assessing the impact of LFH courses on leisure-time physical activity is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 10-week Lifetime Fitness for Health (LFH) course.
• To determine the course's impact on students' leisure-time exercise behavior.
• To assess changes in students' stage of change for exercise.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design was used with 540 university students.
• Intervention group: 30-hour LFH course (lecture/lab). Control group: Psychology courses.
• Leisure-time exercise behavior and stage of change were assessed via self-report questionnaires pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Minimal changes in exercise levels were observed for all students, irrespective of the course.
• Students in the LFH course did not show greater improvement in stage of change compared to psychology course students.
• Participants' stage of change for exercise significantly moderated exercise behavior change across both groups.

Conclusions:

• The LFH course had a limited effect on participants' out-of-class exercise levels.
• The LFH course did not significantly enhance participants' progression through the stages of change for exercise.
• Individual readiness for change, indicated by the stage of change, appears more influential than the LFH course itself.