Background/Purpose: Some colleges and universities require participation in physical activity (PA) classes. The rationale, in part, is to encourage development of healthy lifestyle behaviors; however, determinants of the degree of related lifestyle modification are not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to study the effects of course activity intensity level and degree progress on changes in obesity risk and leisure time physical activity (LTPA).
Method: 138 female first-time PA course participants (aged 18 – 22) volunteered during one academic year. Collegiate athletes were excluded. At the beginning and end of each course, height, weight, and degree progress were collected; and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to record intensity and duration of LTPA. Body mass index (BMI) and MET-minutes/wk were calculated, and standardized MET levels for each course activity were determined. ANCOVAs were used to measure differences between groups, covarying for semester.
Analysis/Results: There was no effect of course activity intensity level or degree progress on changes in BMI following course participation. There was also no effect of course activity intensity level on changes in LTPA. However, there was a trend towards a significant interaction between LPTA and degree progress (p = 0.08) such that 2nd year students increased mean vigorous physical activity compared to 3rd and 4th year students (by 884.08 MET-minutes/wk, p = 0.03 and 872.22 MET-minutes/wk, p = 0.02, respectively).
Conclusions: The impact of PA course participation on increases in LTPA may be influenced by timing during the college career.