COMPARISON OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS BETWEEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND TENNESSEE TWELFTH GRADERS

Abstract

iv

ABSTRACT

The focus of this research paper was to examine the current physical activity habits and Body Mass Index (BMI) of university students in comparison to Tennessee twelfth graders. The participants consisted of 44 health and 254 activity class undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University located in Rutherford County, Tennessee. The Purposes for Engaging in Physical Activity Scale (PEPAS) and selected questions from the Youth Related Behavior Survey (YRBS) were used to collect data from the participants in the form of a questionnaire. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) compared BMI to selected questions from the YRBS and the PEPAS were analyzed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results of this study suggest that 12th graders were more active for at least 60 minutes per day and were more likely to eat vegetables. While there was no association between type of course enrolled and BMI category, there was a significant relationship between hours spent watching TV per day and BMI. There was also a significant difference in the average of number of sports played within the past 12 months among the students enrolled in classes with the soccer class having played the most sports within the past 12 months.