/ 21 January 2025

Relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity among undergraduate students from a South African university

Chante Johannes
Miss Chante Johannes Sports, Recreation and Exercise Science Department at the University of the Western Cape

Description

Psychosocial factors such as mental health, motivation, and social support significantly influence physical activity participation. This study explored these relationships among 534 undergraduate students at a historically disadvantaged South African university.

Data were collected in September 2022 using valid online and hard-copy questionnaires. Measures included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress-21 Scale, the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale, with physical activity assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results showed that 29% of students were physically inactive, 31.1% minimally active, and 39.9% engaged in health-enhancing physical activity. Physical activity was positively associated with stress (r = 0.11, p < 0.05) and anxiety (r = 0.10, p < 0.05). Motivation was linked to psychological condition and others’ expectations (r = 0.10, p < 0.05) and depression and others’ expectations (r = 0.11, p < 0.05).

These findings emphasize the role of psychosocial factors in promoting physical activity participation. Health-promoting strategies should address these factors as coping mechanisms to enhance student well-being.

Institution: Sports, Recreation and Exercise Science Department at the University of the Western Cape

Submitting authority: Miss Chante Johannes

Email: [email protected]

Publication: This paper has previously been published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024, 21, 441.

Click here for the original paper.