PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN KERALA, INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY USING THE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE (IPAQ)
Abstract
One of the growing issues related to poor health due to physical inactivity among the population today is that many young adults, particularly university students, lead inactive lifestyles because of their academic obligations. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with 100 college students (56 female, 44 male) from various colleges affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University (Kerala). Physical activity levels were assessed using the IPAQ SF and analysed according to the IPAQ official guidelines (Revised April 2004). The level of physical activity was categorised as Inactive (Category 1), Minimally Active (Category 2), and HEPA Active (Category 3). MET minutes were reported for each of the activities: walking, moderate and vigorous. Results indicate that the total physical activity for both men and women was 2,493 METs of activity per week. These results are classified into three levels of physical activity: inactivity (25% of all students), minimal activity (42% of all students), and health-enhancing activity (HEPA) (33% of all students). Men (40.9%) have reported more vigorous (HEPA) physical activity than women (26.8%). Overall, walking was the most reported activity among both genders (87% of respondents). The sitting time for all respondents had a median value of 8 hours/day and an IQR from 5-10 hours/day. While approximately 3/4 of all students fall into the lowest levels of recommended physical activity (the very minimum legal HEPA standards), about 1/4 of them are categorised as “inactive.” There is a significant gender difference in how female vs male students meet HEPA standards. This indicates a need to develop programs that encourage females to participate in more vigorous activities. One troubling statistic about school-aged kids is that they spend an average of 8 hours/day sedentary. Extended amounts of sitting or doing other sedentary behaviours could have adverse health effects on these students. As a result, programs designed to assist inactive students and encourage increased HEPA for females will need to be developed to positively influence these trends.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i3.6685
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