Challenge as a strategy to promote physical activity in university students

Abstract

Abstract. Regular practice of physical activity is one of the elements that determine people’s quality of life. In this respect, the World Health Organization defines 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both, as minimum parameters for the adult population aged between 18 and 64 years old. In this study we analyzed the influence that a challenge methodology has on the achievement of these recommendations. To this end, 80 students (13 men and 67 women) from the university degrees in Teaching in Primary School Education (52) and Nursery School Education (28) of the Faculty of Education (University of Zaragoza), with an average age of 21.5±.83 years old, participated in the study. They were randomly distributed into three experimental groups: group one, with traditional measures to promote physical activity; group two, using applications for mobile devices; group three, using physical activity bracelets. The IPAQ questionnaire was used to collect data on the amount of physical activity performed. Specifically, reasons for increased physical exercise were collected using the AMPEF questionnaire. The results showed an improvement in the number of students fulfilling the healthy recommendations after seven weeks. The challenge factor appears as a remarkable reason in the three experimental groups. Groups two and three highlighted the immediacy of the information provided by the ICT tools, which allows greater control and monitoring of the exercise challenges posed.