1. Effects of Educating URI General Education Students on Physical Activity, Exercise, and Disease Prevention and Maintenance Julie Gastall, Department of Kinesiology
Introduction
Results
Discussion
Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States
One major risk factor for chronic disease development is physical inactivity
Currently, only 20% of US adults meet the overall recommendations provided in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines
Purpose
The purpose of the current study was to evaluate if exposure to class content in KIN 375G: Exercise is Medicine would change students self-reported physical activity (PA) levels, reasons why students exercise, and their understanding of the role PA plays in chronic disease prevention and management.
Hypotheses
Exposure to KIN 375G class content will result in greater levels of self-reported PA and will affect reasons why students exercise.
Participant characteristics are presented in Table 1
Students enrolled in the course were primarily female (53%) and first year students 71%)
As seen in Table 2, no significant differences (p >0.05) were found for self-reported PA levels
Our results demonstrate that informing students on the importance of PA and the role it plays in chronic disease prevention and management positively impacted the reasons for exercising and being physically active, without a concomitant increase in PA levels
Limitations
Our small sample of undergraduate students limits the generalizability of the results
Students may have interpreted self-report questionnaire instructions differently or had low motivation to be accurate during administration
PA levels in undergraduate students could change as a result of other factors, including social and academic obligations (i.e. finals and deadlines approaching)
Future Directions
Continue to educate future health care providers and consumers on the benefits of PA for prevention and management of chronic disease Encourage healthcare professions to focus on prevention, not just management of chronic diseases during annual wellness checks
Utilize general education classes as a method for improving the overall wellness of the undergraduate population
Table 1. Participant characteristics
N = 34
Mean ± SD
Range
Age (years)
18.9 ± 0.9
Height (m)
1.7 ± 0.1
Weight (kg)
71.0 ± 12.6
52.16 – 97.52
Body Mass Index (kg/m2)
23.9± 3.6
Table 2. Physical Activity Scores
Pre
Mean ± SD
Post
Godin
131.1 ± 58.7
IPAQ (met∙min-1∙wk-1) ±
ACSM Physically Active (%)
82%
74%
Methods
Students enrolled in the general education course, KIN 375G: Exercise is Medicine participated in the current study (n=34)
Informed consent was collected from each participant
Height and weight were self reported
Self-reported PA levels at PRE and POST were assessed using the Godin Physical Activity Questionnaire (Godin) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
The Reasons for Exercise Inventory (REI) was administered PRE and POST
Students were also asked if participated in at least 30 min of moderate-intensity PA on at least three days∙week-1 for at least three months (ACSM Physically Active)
Paired samples t-tests were used to examine pre and post group differences
Table 3. Reasons for Exercise Inventory – Top 3 reasons
REI - Pre
REI - Post 1
To improve my strength
To improve overall health 2
To improve my muscle tone 3
To improve my overall health
Additional Exercise and Physical Activity Questions
When asked to rate their agreement with the following during POST evaluations (1 = do not agree, 5 = strongly agree) students reported:
Physical activity plays a key role in preventing and managing chronic diseases (4.7/5)
Exercise has similar benefits as medicine in terms of preventing and managing chronic disease (4.6/5)
Exercise can adjust your mood and state of mind in a positive manner (4.5/5)
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Christie Ward-Ritacco for the opportunity to work as her teaching assistant for her Exercise is Medicine class and for supporting, assisting, and advising me throughout this journey.