Physical activity-related beliefs and discrepancies between beliefs and physical activity behavior for various...

We have a limited understanding of factors that may explain the discrepancy between believing physical activity (PA) may help prevent various chronic diseases and actually engaging sufficient PA to prevent such diseases. Similarly, few studies have examined potential discrepancies between engaging in PA to help prevent chronic disease and actual compliance with PA recommendations. Lastly, our understanding of whether young adults believe that evidence-based PA strategies are indeed effective is limited. We address these gaps in the literature.

231 undergraduate college students completed a survey assessing all study parameters.

Main findings include: (a) Most students believed that PA could help to prevent various cardiovascular chronic diseases, with less of an understanding of the beneficial effects of PA on cancer and neurological conditions; (b) most students believed that PA evidenced-based strategies would help to facilitate PA; and (c) participants with a higher BMI were more likely to have a discrepancy between their belief and PA.

Educational messages to college students with a higher BMI may wish to focus less on the benefits of PA (with the exception of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases), but more on the provision and utilization of PA-related evidenced-based strategies.