The prevalence of physical activity maintenance in a sample of university students: A longitudinal study

The health and financial costs of physical inactivity are staggering. Few researchers have assessed the prevalence of physical activity at the level needed to gain health benefits. Objective: The author's purpose in this longitudinal study was to assess the prevalence of university students who maintained physical activity at the level necessary for health gains for at least 1 month. Participants: University students (N = 392) from 2 campuses participated in this 1-month study. Methods: The author administered a survey to the same group of students at baseline and 1 month later to assess the prevalence of students who met and maintained the physical activity guideline for health (PAGH). Results: Thirty-five percent of students maintained the PAGH for 1 month. Conclusion: The majority of students in this study were insufficiently physically active. Given that insufficient physical activity may lead to serious health concerns, interventions are needed to improve activity maintenance in this population.