Miguel Peralta1,2, João Santos3, Joana Bordado3, Duarte Henriques-Neto1, João Martins2,4, Pedro Cruz5, Élvio Rúbio Gouveia6,7, Adilson Marques1,2

1University of Lisbon, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Interdisciplinary Centre for the study of human Performance, Lisboa, Portugal
2University of Lisbon, Environmental Health Institute, Lisboa, Portugal
3University of Lisbon, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Lisboa, Portugal
4University of Lisbon, Faculty of Human Kinetics and Research and Intervention in Education and Training, Institute of Education, Pedagogy Lab, Lisboa, Portugal
5University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
6University of Madeira, Department of Sports and Physical Education, Funchal, Portugal
7Interactive Technologies Institute, LARSyS, Funchal, Portugal

Participation in Physical Activity is Associated with Well-being in European University Students

Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2021, 10(2), 41-46 | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.210906

Abstract

This study’s objective was to analyse the associations between physical activity (PA) and well-being in a rep- resentative sample of European university students. This cross-sectional study was based on data from the European Social Survey round 6, 2012, comprising 3,143 European university students (1456 men and 1687 women) from 27 countries, with a mean age of 21.3±2.9 years. Socio-demographic data, PA, health perception, and the six dimensions of well-being were self-reported. Men reported practising PA more often than women did (4.4±2.2 versus 4.1 ± 2.2, p<0.001) and had better health perception (4.2±0.7 versus 4.1 ± 0.8, p<0.001) and total well-being score (5.5±1.2 versus 5.2 ± 1.3, p<0.001). PA frequency was linearly associated with health perception (p<0.001) as well as the overall well-being score (p<0.001). There is a positive association between PA and the well-being of European university students. This emphasizes the importance of PA in the university students’ lifestyle and the need to develop programmes that reduce physical inactivity.

Keywords

exercise, active lifestyle, health, epidemiology, young adults



View full article
(PDF – 165KB)

References

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood. A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.

Baptista, F., Santos, D. A., Silva, A. M., Mota, J., Santos, R., Vale, S., . . . Sardinha, L. B. (2012). Prevalence of the Portuguese population attaining sufficient physical activity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44(3), 466-473. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318230e441

Bray, S. R., & Born, H. A. (2004). Transition to university and vigorous physical activity: implications for health and psychological well-being. Journal of American College Health, 52(4), 181-188. https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.52.4.181-188

Deforche, B., Van Dyck, D., Deliens, T., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2015). Changes in weight, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and dietary intake during the transition to higher education: a prospective study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12, 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-015-0173-9

Dias, C., Corte-Real, N., Corredeira, R., Barreiros, A., Bastos, T., & Fonseca, A. M. (2008). University students' sport practice and its relations with physical self-perceptions, subjective well-being and happiness. Estudos de Psicologia (Natal), 13(3), 223-232.

Engberg, E., Liira, H., Kukkonen-Harjula, K., From, S., Kautiainen, H., Pitkala, K., & Tikkanen, H. (2015). Associations of physical activity with self-rated health and well-being in middle-aged Finnish men. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 43(2), 190-196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494814561820

ESS. (2015). Europeans' personal and social well-being. Topline results from round 6 of the European Social survey. London: European Social Survey.

Gall, T. L., Evans, D. R., & Bellerose, S. (2000). Transition to first-year university: Patterns of change in adjustment across life domains and time. Journal of social and clinical psychology, 19(4), 544-567.

Grim, M., Hortz, B., & Petosa, R. (2011). Impact evaluation of a pilot web-based intervention to increase physical activity. American Journal of Health Promotion, 25(4), 227-230. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.081216-ARB-307

Hallal, P. C., Andersen, L. B., Bull, F. C., Guthold, R., Haskell, W., Ekelund, U., & Lancet Physical Activity Series Working, G. (2012). Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects. Lancet, 380(9838), 247-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60646-1

Jeffrey, K., Abdallah, S., & Quick, A. (2015). Europeans’ personal and social well-being: topline results from Round 6 of the European Social Survey. London: Centre for Comparative Social Surveys.

Marques, A., & Gaspar de Matos, M. (2014). Adolescents' physical activity trends over the years: a three-cohort study based on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Portuguese survey. BMJ open, 4(9), e006012. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006012

Marques, A., Peralta, M., Martins, J., Catunda, R., Matos, M. G., & Saboga Nunes, L. (2016). Associations between physical activity and self-rated well-being in European adults: A population-based, cross-sectional study. Preventive Medicine, 91, 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.07.021

Marques, A., Sarmento, H., Martins, J., & Saboga Nunes, L. (2015). Prevalence of physical activity in European adults - Compliance with the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines. Preventive Medicine, 81, 333-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.09.018

Michaelson, J., Abdallah, S., Steuer, N., Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2009). National accounts of well-being: bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet. London: New Economics Foundation.

Molina-Garcia, J., Castillo, I., & Queralt, A. (2011). Leisure-time physical activity and psychological well-being in university students. Psychological Reports, 109(2), 453-460. https://doi.org/10.2466/06.10.13.PR0.109.5.453-460

Pengpid, S., Peltzer, K., Kassean, H. K., Tsala Tsala, J. P., Sychareun, V., & Muller-Riemenschneider, F. (2015). Physical inactivity and associated factors among university students in 23 low-, middle- and high-income countries. International Journal of Public Health, 60(5), 539-549. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-015-0680-0

Poobalan, A. S., Aucott, L. S., Clarke, A., & Smith, W. C. (2012). Physical activity attitudes, intentions and behaviour among 18-25 year olds: a mixed method study. BMC Public Health, 12, 640. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-640

Rhodes, R. E., Janssen, I., Bredin, S. S. D., Warburton, D. E. R., & Bauman, A. (2017). Physical activity: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions. Psychology & Health, 32(8), 942-975. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2017.1325486

Weitzman, E. R. (2004). Poor mental health, depression, and associations with alcohol consumption, harm, and abuse in a national sample of young adults in college. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 192(4), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000120885.17362.94