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The problem_ of the study was to compare honors college students with non-honors students on physical activity levels, perceived benefits of physical activity, and perceived barriers to physical activity. Two measures were selected to test the hypotheses and were combined into one questionnaire. A purposive sample of 500 students from Honors College classes and Health Science classes were given the questionnaire to complete during class. Multiple Analysis of variance (MANOVA), univariate f-tests following significant MANOVA's, and a t-test analysis were used to test the hypotheses.Results of this study indicated that honors students and non-honors students perform similar amounts of physical activity. Time is a more important perceived barrier to physical activity for honors students than for non-honors students. No significant differences exist for honors students and non-honors students regarding perceived benefits. It is suggested that additional research involving physical activity and time factors be conducted on college students enrolled in both honors programs and non-honors programs. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

To investigate the effect of a 12-week internet-based PA intervention (Active Living Every Day (ALED)) on average steps/day and time spent in sedentary, light, and moderate/vigorous activity/day, PA was objectively measured at baseline and follow-up using the Omron pedometer and the Actigraph GT3X in 11 bariatric patients (2 male, 9 female; 41±12 years). Significant changes (p<.05) were found in weight, BMI, body fat %, waist and hip circumference, submaximal RPE, percentage of individuals reporting PA and perceived exercise barriers from baseline to follow-up. No significant differences were found in steps/day or daily activity level from baseline to follow-up. Bariatric participants averaged 4454±203 steps/day and 74% of their day was spent sedentary. Based on this data it appears that the 12 week PA intervention was not effective in significantly changing PA behavior in the pre-surgery, but lead to improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, RPE and potential exercise barriers. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2005. / There is an increasing international need for additional interventions to be established that prevent mental illness and promote mental health. This study set out to investigate the impact of exercise as a treatment option for depression and low levels of psychological well-being over a two-month period. A comprehensive literature review examining previous studies using exercise as a treatment approach for depression and psychological well-being formed a foundation from which this study could be based. The design of this study used both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Data was collected through standardized questionnaires and completed pre and post-test by forty participants randomly assigned to an experimental and control group. Additional data was attained through two open-ended questions given to participants in the experimental group. The quantitative results were not statistically significant however did indicate clear trends towards positive changes in certain variables. These results in conjunction with the qualitative findings suggested that exercise does have a positive impact on depression and psychological well-being.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the effect Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) levels have on college students' preferences for different exercise settings. Those exercise settings included exercising with people of same gender, exercising with people who were physically fit, and exercising with people of similar body shapes. In addition, the study investigated the role of gender concerning these exercise setting preferences. Furthermore, this study examined the relationship between SPA levels and students' preferences for different type of physical fitness activities and their perceived physical fitness (PPF). A sample of 375 undergraduate male and female students at Ball State University were selected using a purposeful sampling procedure. The participants were enrolled in the coeducational Physical Education Fitness/Wellness course (PEFWL) during spring 2000 semester. During a scheduled class, the participants completed a 35item questionnaire which assessed SPA levels, PPF, and other items related to exercise setting.In this study, male participants were significantly higher in PPF than female participants, whereas female participants were significantly higher in SPA than male participants. To address the five research hypotheses, logistic and multiple regression analyses were used (p<.05). Both SPA and gender were significant predictors of participants' preference for exercising with people of same gender, participants' preference for exercising with people physically fit, and participants' preference for exercising with people of same body shape. Gender significantly predicated the preference of participating in the physical activity groups of physical conditioning and swimnastics/fitness swimming. Finally, SPA was the only significant predicator (p<.001) of participants' PPF. Based on the results of this study, SPA played a critical role in college-age students' exercise setting preferences. Students' self-presentational concerns about their physiques being negatively evaluated by others may indeed influence their exercise setting preferences. / School of Physical Education

Wearable physical activity (PA) monitors have been adopted by millions of people across the United States, but we do not fully understand who wears them and why. The devices have been promoted as a tool that motivates users by collecting data on their daily activities and delivering tailored feedback based on predetermined goals. The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: 1) To describe users of activity monitors detailing how and why they used this technology, and 2) To explore the motivational profile of activity monitor users and assess how it is related to PA. This dissertation consists of a series of two separate but related studies. The first study recruited over 2000 activity monitor users from across the United States to complete a web-based survey describing why they used this technology and how they interacted with their device. This study showed significant differences in sociodemographic and use characteristics between current and former users and between women and men. Activity monitors were perceived by users as influential on their PA behavior and differences in use patterns between subgroups warranted further exploration of associations between user characteristics, motivation to exercise, and PA. The second study investigated the motivation and PA of activity monitor users. While activity monitors have been widely promoted as a means to motivate users to be more active, the motivational profile of users has never been assessed. While all motivational regulations were significantly correlated with PA, the strongest associations were with the more self-determined motives (integrated, identified and intrinsic respectively). Five motivational profiles emerged from the cluster analysis: ‘High Amotivation’ (n=30), ‘Autonomous with High Introjected’ (n=101), ‘Low Overall Motivation’ (n=61), ‘High Controlled Motivation (n=47), and ‘Autonomous with Low Introjected’ (n=81). Profiles characterized by more autonomous regulations had higher levels of PA. These studies offer new insights on who activity monitor users are, why they decide to use this technology, and how they interact with their devices. While the second study identified an association between motivational profiles and PA, further longitudinal research is needed to assess whether use of an activity monitor impacts the direction and/or magnitude of this relationship.