Physical Activity among Spanish Undergraduate Students: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sports Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Recommended physical activity (PA) levels are crucial for health.
• Undergraduate students commonly exhibit insufficient PA levels.
• Addressing PA deficits in this demographic is a public health priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the achievement of recommended PA levels among undergraduate students in Madrid.
• To identify demographic and academic factors associated with meeting PA guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 2960 undergraduate students.
• Physical activity assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ).
• Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• 22.4% of students did not meet overall PA recommendations; 55.6% did not meet leisure-time PA (LTPA) recommendations.
• Predictors for overall PA included male sex, normal/overweight BMI, less sedentary time, work, and specific fields of study.
• Predictors for LTPA included male sex, normal/overweight BMI, work, public university attendance, and health science studies.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of undergraduate students fail to meet WHO PA recommendations.
• University-based interventions are needed to promote PA among students.
• Targeted strategies may be effective, considering factors like sex, BMI, and academic discipline.