Little is known about the relations of environmental characteristics and physical activity of college students, especially students from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. Associations were examined between environmental characteristics and moderate and vigorous activity in racial or ethnic minority (n = 418; M age = 24.3 ± 4.5 yr.; 54.2% women) and Euro-American (n = 297; M age = 23.5 ± 4.4 yr.; 49.7% women) college students. Participants completed questionnaires assessing demographic measures, physical activity, exercise equipment at home, neighborhood characteristics, and convenient places for physical activity. Moderate and vigorous activity participation was similar between the two groups even though racial or ethnic minorities had less supportive home and neighborhood environments for activity and fewer convenient facilities. Greater moderate and vigorous activity were related with more convenient facilities in racial or ethnic minorities. Vigorous activity was associated with better neighborhood characteristics for Euro-Americans. The findings can inform the design and implementation of environmental approaches to promoting activity of college students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AdameD. D.JohnsonT. C.NowickiS.ColeS. P.MatthiassonH. (2001) Physical fitness and self-reported physical exercise among college men and women in 1987 and 1997. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 93,559–566.
2.
AdamsT. M.BryntesonP. (1995) The effects of two types of required physical education programs on attitudes and exercise habits of college alumni. Physical Educator, 52,203–210.
3.
American College of Sports Medicine. (2005) ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. (7th ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger/Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
4.
AtkinsonJ. L.SallisJ. E.SaelensB. E.CainK. L.BlackJ. B. (2005) The association of neighborhood design and recreational environments with physical activity. American Journal of Health Promotion, 19,304–309.
5.
BaranowskiT.AndersonC.CarmackC. (1998) Mediating variable framework in physical activity interventions: How are we doing? How might we do better?American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 15,266–297.
6.
BoslaughS. E.LukeD. A.BrownsonR. C.NaleidK. S.KreuterM. W. (2004) Perceptions of neighborhood environment for physical activity: Is it “who you are” or “where you live?”Journal of Urban Health, 81,671–681.
7.
BrownP.GuyM.BroadJ. (2005) Individual socio-economic status, community-socio-economic status and stroke in New Zealand: A case control study. Social Science and Medicine, 61,1174–1188.
8.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1999) Neighborhood safety and the prevalence of physical activity—selected states, 1996. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 47,143–146.
9.
De BourdeaudhuijI.SallisJ. E.SaelensB. E. (2003) Environmental correlates of physical activity in a sample of Belgian adults. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18,83–92.
10.
DishmanR. K. (Ed.) (1994) Advances in exercise adherence. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
11.
DomboisO. T.Braun-FahrländerC.Martin-DienerE. (2007) Comparison of adult physical activity levels in three Swiss alpine communities with varying access to motorized transportation. Health Place, 13,757–766.
12.
DuntonG. R.SchneiderM. (2006) Perceived barriers to walking for physical activity. Preventing Chronic Disease, 3,1–11.
13.
EylerA. A.Matson-KoffmanD.Rohm YoungD.WilcoxS.WilburJ.ThompsonJ. L.SandersonB.EvensonK. R. (2003) Quantitative study of correlates of physical activity in women from diverse racial/ethnic groups. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 25,93–103.
14.
GebhardtT. L.KaphingstK.DeJongW. (2000) A campus-community coalition to control alcohol-related problems off campus: An environmental management case study. Journal of American College Health, 48,211–215.
15.
Giles-CortiB.DonovanR. J. (2002) Socioeconomic status differences in recreational physical activity levels and real and perceived access to a supportive physical environment. Preventive Medicine, 35,601–611.
16.
GyurcsikN. C.BrayS. R.BrittainD. R. (2004) Coping with barriers to vigorous physical activity during transition to university. Family and Community Health, 27,130–142.
17.
GyurcsikN. C.SpinkK. S.BrayS. R.ChadK.KwanM. (2006) An ecologically based examination of barriers to physical activity in students from grade seven through first-year university. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38,704–711.
18.
HaaseA.SteptoeA.SallisJ. E.WardleJ. (2004) Leisure-time physical activity in university students from 23 countries: Associations with health benefits, risk awareness, and national economic development. Preventive Medicine, 39,182–190.
19.
HivertH. F.LangloisM. F.BerardP.CuerrierJ. P.CarpentierA. C. (2007) Prevention of weight gain in young adults through a seminar-based intervention program. International Journal of Obesity, 31,1262–1269.
20.
HumpelN.OwenN.LeslieE. (2002) Environmental factors associated with adults' participation in physical activity: A review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22,188–199.
21.
HustonS. L.EvensonK. R.BorsP.GizliceZ. (2003) Neighborhood environment, access to places for activity, and leisure-time physical activity in a diverse North Carolina population. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18,58–69.
22.
IrwinJ. D. (2004) Prevalence of university students' sufficient physical activity: A systematic review. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 98,927–943.
23.
JacksonA. S.BlairS. N.MaharM. T.WierL. T.RossR. M.StutevilleJ. E. (1990) Prediction of functional aerobic capacity without exercise testing. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 22,863–870.
24.
JacksonA. S.RossR. M. (1997) Understanding exercise for health and fitness. (3rd ed.) Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
25.
JagoR.BaranowskiT.ZakeriI.HarrisM. (2005) Observed environmental features and the physical activity of adolescent males. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 29,98–104.
26.
KingA. C.CastroC.WilcoxS.EylerA. A.SalusJ. F.BrownsonR. C. (2000) Personal and environmental factors associated with physical inactivity among different racial-ethnic groups of U.S. middle-aged and older-aged women. Health Psychology, 19,354–364.
27.
KirtlandK. A.PorterD. E.AddyC. L.NeetM. J.WilliamsJ. E.SharpeP. A.NeffL. J.KimseyC. D.Jr.AinsworthB. E. (2003) Environmental measures of physical activity supports: Perception versus reality. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24,323–331.
28.
MeromD.RisselC.MahmicA.BaumanA. (2005) Process evaluation of the New South Wales Walk Safely to School Day. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 16,100–106.
29.
PyleM. A.LalumandierJ. A.SawyerD. R. (2000) Prevalence of elevated blood pressure in students attending a college oral health program. Special Care in Dentistry, 20,234–239.
30.
ReedJ. A.AinsworthB. (2007) Perceptions of environmental supports on the physical activity behaviors of university men and women: A preliminary investigation. Journal of American College Health, 56,199–204.
31.
ReedJ. A.PhillipsD. A. (2005) Relationship between physical activity and the proximity of exercise facilities and home exercise equipment used by undergraduate university students. Journal of American College of Health, 53,285–290.
32.
RobertsK.DenchS.MintenJ.YorkC. (1989) Community response to leisure center provision, Belfast. London: Sports Council.
33.
RothmanK. J. (1990) No adjustments are needed for multiple comparisons. Epidemiology, 1,43–49.
34.
SaelensB. E.SallisJ. F.BlackJ. B.ChenD. (2003) Neighborhood-based differences in physical activity: An environmental scale evaluation. American Journal of Public Health, 93,1552–1558.
35.
SallisJ. F.CerveroR.AscherW. W.HendersonK.KraftM. K.KerrJ. (2006) An ecological approach to creating active living communities. Annual Reviews of Public Health, 27,297–322.
36.
SallisJ. F.JohnsonM. F.CalfasK. J.CaparosaS.NicholsJ. F. (1997) Assessing perceived physical environment variables that may influence physical activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 68,345–351.
37.
SallisJ. F.KingA. C.SirardJ. R.AlbrightC. L. (2007) Perceived environmental predictors of physical activity over 6 months in adults: Activity Counseling Trial. Health Psychology, 26,701–709.
38.
SallisJ. F.SaelensB. E. (2000) Assessment of physical activity by self-report: Status, limitations, and future directions. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71,1–14.
39.
SleminskiD. J.CowellL. L.MontgomeryP. S.PillaiS. B.GardnerA. W. (1997) Physical activity monitoring in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 17,43–47.
40.
SuminskiR. R.PetosaR.PostonC.StevensE.KatzenmoyerL. (2005) Features of the neighborhood environment and walking by U.S. adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28,149–155.
41.
SuminskiR. R.PetosaR.UtterA. C.ZhangJ. J. (2002) Physical activity among ethnically diverse college students. Journal of American College of Health, 51,75–80.
42.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2007) Current Population Survey (CPS), March Supplement, 1971–2007. Washington, DC: Author.
43.
WangY. (2008) Tai Chi exercise and the improvements of mental and physical health among college students. Medicine & Sciences in Sports & Exercise, 52,135–145.
44.
WarneckeR. B.JohnsonT. P.ChavezN.SudmanS.O'RourkeD. P.LaceyL.HormJ. (1997) Improving question wording in surveys of culturally diverse populations. Annuals of Epidemiology, 1,334–342.
45.
WebbO. J.EvesF. F. (2007) Promoting stair climbing: Intervention effects generalize to a subsequent stair ascent. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22,114–119.
46.
Wendel-VosW.DroomersM.KremersS.BrugJ.van LentheF. (2007) Potential environmental determinants of physical activity in adults: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 8,425–440.
47.
WhartonC. M.AdamsT.HamplJ. S. (2008) Weight loss practices and body weight perceptions among U.S. college students. Journal of American College of Health, 56,579–584.
48.
WierL. T.AyersG. W.JacksonA. S.RossumA. C.PostonW. S.ForeytJ. P. (2001) Determining the amount of physical activity needed for long-term weight control. International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders, 25,613–621.
