Health Behaviors and Their Motivators in College Students: A Literature Review
Poster Number
063
College
College of Education
Department
Physical Education, Sport & Human Performance
Faculty Mentor
Joni Boyd, Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this literature review was to investigate the physical activity habits of college students and the particular motivators that lead them to engage in physical activity. Research shows that engagement in physical activity declines over time, with the largest decline happening during adolescent years; unfortunately, coinciding with this decline is an obesity epidemic affecting people of all ages in the United States. The studies in this literature review examine the current physical activity engagement of students at colleges across the United States and show that the majority of students are not meeting the recommendations for adequate physical activity minutes, with some students even reporting no engagement in physical activity. Likewise, more than 20% of students are overweight and obese, and a large number report gaining weight throughout college. In terms of motivators toward engaging in a physical activity routine, these studies showed that, when first starting exercise, students rely on the main extrinsic motivator of physical appearance; however, over time, the intrinsic motivators of enjoyment and fulfillment become the driving forces for maintaining regular physical activity habits. The findings in these studies call on health professionals and professors to implement programs and interventions on college campuses that assist students in increasing their time spent in physical activity, possibly through requiring physical activity classes prior to graduating. Additionally, this review stresses the importance of educating college students on the importance of ingraining physical activity habits with intrinsic motivators in order to create lifestyle habits.
Course Assignment
PESH 381 – Boyd
Start Date
12-4-2019 2:15 PM
End Date
April 2019
Health Behaviors and Their Motivators in College Students: A Literature Review
Richardson Ballroom – DiGiorgio Campus Center
The purpose of this literature review was to investigate the physical activity habits of college students and the particular motivators that lead them to engage in physical activity. Research shows that engagement in physical activity declines over time, with the largest decline happening during adolescent years; unfortunately, coinciding with this decline is an obesity epidemic affecting people of all ages in the United States. The studies in this literature review examine the current physical activity engagement of students at colleges across the United States and show that the majority of students are not meeting the recommendations for adequate physical activity minutes, with some students even reporting no engagement in physical activity. Likewise, more than 20% of students are overweight and obese, and a large number report gaining weight throughout college. In terms of motivators toward engaging in a physical activity routine, these studies showed that, when first starting exercise, students rely on the main extrinsic motivator of physical appearance; however, over time, the intrinsic motivators of enjoyment and fulfillment become the driving forces for maintaining regular physical activity habits. The findings in these studies call on health professionals and professors to implement programs and interventions on college campuses that assist students in increasing their time spent in physical activity, possibly through requiring physical activity classes prior to graduating. Additionally, this review stresses the importance of educating college students on the importance of ingraining physical activity habits with intrinsic motivators in order to create lifestyle habits.
