The Association between Academic Schedule and Physical Activity Behaviors in University Students

Yingyi Wu (), Pascal W. M. Van Gerven, Renate H. M. de Groot, Bert O. Eijnde, Jan Seghers, Bjorn Winkens and Hans H. C. M. Savelberg
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Yingyi Wu: School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Pascal W. M. Van Gerven: Department of Educational Development & Research, School of Health Professions Education, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Renate H. M. de Groot: Faculty of Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands
Bert O. Eijnde: SMRC Sports Medical Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences, Hasselt University, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Jan Seghers: Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Bjorn Winkens: Department of Methodology and Statistics, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Hans H. C. M. Savelberg: School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: Background: University students sit too much, which is detrimental to their physical and mental health. Academic schedules, including scheduled education time and self-study time, may influence their physical activity behaviors. Objectives: To investigate (1) the association between scheduled education time and students’ physical activity levels during weekdays; (2) the association between self-study time and students’ physical activity levels during the weekdays and weekends. Methods: 126 (68 Maastricht University (UM); 58 KU Leuven (KUL)) first-year undergraduate students in biomedical sciences (mean ± SD age: 19.3 ± 1.0, BMI: 22.0 ± 3.0, 17% men, 83% women) completed a demographics questionnaire and reported their academic activities with a 7-day logbook. Furthermore, their physical activity behavior was measured with the activPAL monitor for 7 days. Linear mixed models were used to examine the associations between university (UM versus KUL), academic activities (scheduled education time and self-study time), and students’ activity levels. Results: During weekdays, each hour of scheduled education time per day was significantly associated with a 1.3 min decrease of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Scheduled education time was not significantly associated with the sedentary time, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and active sedentary behavior ratio. Each hour of self-study per day was significantly associated with 8 min more of sedentary time per day, 6 min less LPA per day, and 1.3 min less MVPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with active sedentary behavior ratio. During the weekend, each hour of self-study time per day was associated with an additional 17.8 min of sedentary time per day and a reduction of 15.2 min of LPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with the time spent doing MVPA and active sedentary behavior ratio. Conclusions: It could be more effective to change students’ physical activity behaviors during self-study than during scheduled education time. Therefore, offering a study environment that reduces sedentary behavior and promotes light-intensity physical activity, is crucial.

Keywords: sedentary behavior; physical activity; scheduled education time; self-study time; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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