Factors associated with types of perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity among brazilian university students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v79.118551Keywords:
Difficulty, students, Brazil, physical exerciseAbstract
Introduction: University students face several difficulties that limit their involvement in physical activities during their free time, but the characteristics that determine the types of perceived barriers are still insufficiently understood in the scientific literature.
Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the types of perceived barriers to physical activity during free time among Brazilian university students.
Methodology: The barriers evaluated were fatigue, unfavorable climate, overwork, lack of motivation, academic obligations, family responsibilities, distance to the practice location, lack of motor skills, lack of physical conditioning, lack of facilities, lack of financial resources, and lack of safety conditions. Each barrier was evaluated according to its perceived importance. The independent variables included sex, age, time at university, body mass index, work/internship status, and level of physical activity. Path analysis was performed using AMOS software.
Results: 1,300 university students participated. Being female was associated with seven of the 12 barriers, especially lack of safety conditions and fatigue. Older students tended to perceive all barriers as less important. Students who worked or interned perceived excessive workload as a more important barrier and academic obligations as less important. Higher levels of physical activity reduced the perception of seven barriers, while a higher body mass index increased the perception of lack of physical fitness as an important barrier.
Discussion: The results are consistent with previous studies, reinforcing the influence of individual and contextual factors on how barriers are perceived.
Conclusions: Biological, behavioral, and sociodemographic factors play a determining role in the perception of barriers to physical activity during leisure time among university students. This indicates that promotional actions should be specifically planned, taking these factors into account.
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