Method: College students (N= 54) were recruited from a 4-year university in U.S. All participants were enrolled in a fitness class, in which they were introduced to knowledge of goal setting, fitness and nutrition, in addition to a weekly 45-minute PA session designed to provide positive PA experiences in various activities such as basketball, soccer, aquatic games, aerobic dance, yoga, and jump rope. A pre-validated questionnaire of Beliefs about the Consequence of Participating in Physical Activity Survey was completed by participants at the beginning and end of the semester.
Analysis/Results: Using paired sample t-test, a significant increase in beliefs about consequence of participating in PA was found, t (53) = 2.28, p= .03. Mixed-design ANOVA was performed to test gender and ethnicity differences between pre-post tests, with gender and ethnicity as between-subject variables. No significant difference in pre-post change in beliefs about the consequences of taking part in PA was found between male and female students or among students of different ethnicities.
Conclusions: The one-semester fitness class enabled college students to experience positive consequences that came with participating in PA, such as gaining muscle, enjoyment, and friendship. It was unexpected that no gender and ethnicity differences were found. Future research is needed to identify the specific elements in the fitness class that are associated with positive beliefs about participating in regular PA.