When it comes to researching the physical activity levels of college students, there seem to be very few studies that truly depict and show the ranges of physical activity throughout a college student’s life. This statement has helped propelled me to collect and analyze data in order to see what the physical activity is like for an undergraduate college student at the University of Texas. Researchers have discovered that many college students have reported understanding the benefits of physical activity, but that they report that there are many barriers in their daily life that thrust physical activity into the backseat as a priority (Lopez, Gallegos, & Extremera, 2010). Knowing that some college students will ignore physical activity, regardless of the health-related benefits, urges us to further discover the attitude of college students towards physical activity and what factors seem to have the most affect, whether positively or negatively, when it comes to their decisions on physical activity. Many university students decrease their PA levels (Gyurcsik, Bray, & Brittain, 2004; Keating et al., 2005; McArthur & Raedeke, 2009). Knowing this, I seek to answer the question, “What happens to the levels of physical activity throughout an undergraduate student’s life and what are the contributing factors to their level of physical activity?” Researchers noted that a healthy college-aged student should be participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least 5 days per week (Nelson, 2007). My thesis is an analysis of daily and weekly activity, as well as what kinds of physical activity college students like and do not, the way in which they participate, either independently or with friends, as well as where they partake in physical activity. My subjects answered questions based on their physical activity levels throughout their college years. The subjects ranged between first and fifth year undergraduate students, which allowed me to get some insight as to how their physical activity levels have changed throughout the duration of their college careers. / text

Bakgrund: Depression är en allvarlig sjukdom och en ledande orsak till funktionsnedsättning världen över. Det finns forskning som visar på positiva effekter av fysisk aktivitet vid depression. FaR “fysisk aktivitet på recept” innebär en skriftlig ordination på fysisk aktivitet som används inom vården vid bland annat depression. Självkänsla är en positiv eller negativ hållning en individ har gentemot sig själv och som påverkas vid depression. Depression kan också påverka egenkontrollen hos individer. Det saknas kunskaper om vilka faktorer som påverkar den fysiska aktivitetsnivån hos personer med depression. Självkänsla och egenkontroll skulle kunna vara betydelsefulla aspekter i detta sammanhang. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka uppfattad fysisk aktivitetsnivå, självkänsla och egenkontroll hos patienter med diagnosen depression. Metod: 27 patienter deltog i denna kvantitativa tvärsnittsstudie i form av en enkätundersökning. Data analyserades med deskriptiv- och icke-parametrisk statistik. Resultat: Deltagarna hade i genomsnitt en fysisk aktivitetsnivå på 205 aktivitetsminuter per vecka. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad i aktivitetsnivå hos de som erhållit FaR gentemot de som ej erhållit FaR. Det fanns ej heller någon signifikant skillnad i fysisk aktivitetsnivå mellan de som erhållit information om fysisk aktivitet jämfört med de som ej erhållit information. Det fanns ett svagt icke-signifikant positivt samband mellan uppfattad fysisk aktivitetsnivå och självkänsla (r= .04, p= .85), och ett svagt icke-signifikant positivt samband mellan uppfattad fysisk aktivitetsnivå och egenkontroll (r= .08, p= .70). Konklusion: Studiens resultat visade övergripande att majoriteten av patienternas aktivitetsnivå uppnådde rekommenderade nivåer. Både uppfattad självkänsla och egenkontroll resulterade i att vara något lägre än rekommenderat. / Background: Depression is a serious illness and a leading cause of disability globally. Research shows positive effects of physical activity in relation to depression. FaR"physical activity on prescription" is a written prescription for physical activity and is an action that the health care system can use for patients suffering from depression. Self-esteem is the feeling an individual has about his/her own worth and abilities, it can be either positive or negative, and is affected when suffering from depression. Depression can also affect a person’s self-control. There is a lack of knowledge regarding what factors that may influence physical activity in person with depression. Self-esteem and self-control could be important aspects in this. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate perceptions of physical activity, self-esteem and self-control in individuals suffering from depression. Method: 27 patients participated in this quantitative cross-sectional study composed of self-rated questionnaires. Descriptive and non-parametric statics were used to analayze data. Results: The average levels of physical activity were 205 minutes of activity per week. There was no significant differences in physical activity in participants who had been prescribed FaR compared to those who had not been prescribed FaR. There was no significant differences in physical activity between those who had received information regarding physical activity and those who had not. There was a weak non-significant positive correlation between self-rated physical activity and self-esteem (r = .04, p = .85), and a weak nonsignificant positive correlation between self-rated physical activity and self-control (r =.08, p = .70). Conclusion: The results show that the majority of the patients physical activity reached recommended levels. The participants had, in average, low values of self-rated self-esteem and self-control.

En esta investigación, se ha tratado de evaluar la actividad física habitual sin centrarnos exclusivamente en la actividad deportiva voluntaria y reglada.Hemos seleccionado una franja de edad de gran complejidad psicológica y social, La etapa adolescente. No obstante, esta etapa coincide con la mayor disminución de actividad físico-deportiva, según revelan la mayoría de investigaciones consultadas. En nuestra investigación se ha utilizado un instrumento, que nos ha permitido determinar los niveles de actividad física habitual de los adolescentes y, a su vez, analizar la posible influencia que la valoración de las clases de Educación Física puede ejercer sobre dichos niveles. Destacamos que el eje principal de nuestra investigación, está centrado en tres momentos fundamentales de la vida cotidiana del adolescente, como son: la actividad desarrollada en el entorno escolar, la actividad desarrollada durante el tiempo de ocio y la actividad deportiva elegida voluntariamente.Los resultados más significativos demuestran que la Educación Física es una materia curricular que eleva de forma significativa los niveles de actividad física habitual de los adolescentes. Debido, probablemente, al carácter obligatorio de la misma, circunstancia que exige la necesidad de aumentar su presencia horaria dentro del currículum.las actividades físico-deportivas realizadas en el entorno escolar señalan un bajo efecto de incidencia de la materia en la promoción físico-deportiva extraescolar, debido, probablemente, a la marcada orientación deportivizada, los climas motivacionales centrados en el ego y el predominio de estereotipos deportivos masculinos, que caracterizan a la Educación Física actual. Las diferencias de la diversión de las clases y la utilidad de las mismas, tanto en varones como en mujeres, apunta la necesidad de plantear metodologías de intervención significativa y emancipadora. Los bajos niveles de actividad que encontramos durante el tiempo de ocio, destacan que la Educación Física no está generando por sí sola hábitos de práctica física extraescolar. / In this investigation, it has been to evaluate the habitual physical activity without centering us exclusively in the voluntary and ruled sport activity. We have selected a fringe of age of great psychological and social complexity, the adolescent stage. Nevertheless, this stage coincides with the biggest decrease of physical-sport activity, as they reveal most of consulted investigations. In our investigation an instrument has been used that has allowed us to determine the levels of the adolescents' habitual physical activity and, in turn, to analyze the possible influence that the valuation of the classes of Physical Education can exercise on this levels. We highlight that the main axis of our investigation, it is centered in three fundamental moments of the adolescent's daily life, like they are: the activity developed in the school environment, the activity developed during the time of leisure and the sport activity chosen voluntarily. The most significant results demonstrate that the Physical Education is a curricular matter that rises in a significant way the levels of the adolescents' habitual physical activity. Due, probably, to the obligatory character of the same one, circumstance that demands the necessity to increase their presence In the plan of studies inside the currículum. The physical-sport activities carried out in the school environment probably point out a low effect of incidence of the matter in the promotion physical-sport outside of the school schedule, due, to the marked orientation sportsman, the climates stimulant centered in the ego and the prevalence of masculine sport stereotypes that characterize to the current Physical Education. The differences of the amusement of the classes and the utility of the same ones, as much in males as in women, it aims the necessity to outline methodologies of significant intervention and autonomous. The first floor activity levels that we find during the time of leisure, highlight that the Physical Education is not generating habits of practice physical outside of the school schedule by itself

Introducción. El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar si existe correlación entre los conocimientos sobre las consecuencias de la obesidad y el grado de actividad física de las personas. Métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal analítico durante los años 2013 y 2014. Participaron 215 alumnos de pregrado seleccionados por conveniencia no relacionados a carreras del campo de la salud en una universidad de Lima, Perú. Se evaluó el grado de actividad física utilizando el International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) y el nivel de conocimientos sobre consecuencias de la obesidad utilizando la escala Obesity Risk Knowledge-10 (ORK-10). También, se consignó las fuentes de información de donde obtuvieron el conocimiento para responder dicho cuestionario. Resultados. La mediana de edad fue 20 (rango intercuartílico=4) y 63% eran mujeres. De acuerdo al IPAQ, 53,9% realizaban actividad física alta, 35,4%, moderada y 10,7%, leve. Se encontró una correlación muy baja (rs=0,06) entre el puntaje del ORK-10 y la cantidad de equivalentes metabólicos/minuto consumidos por semana, pero no era significativa (p=0,38). Las personas informadas por medios de comunicación y por personal de salud obtuvieron mayores puntajes en el ORK- 10 que quienes se informaron por otras vías (p<0,05). Conclusiones. La correlación entre los conocimientos sobre consecuencias de la obesidad y el grado de actividad física es muy baja. Es necesario utilizar enfoques multidisciplinarios que incluyan todos los determinantes de la realización de actividad física para poder lograr cambios en la conducta de la población.