The Effect of Physical Activity on the Health-Related Quality of Life of College Students.

摘要

College students are increasingly suffering from various health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Coincidentally, most college students are sedentary as more than half are not meeting the physical activity recommendations to stay healthy. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the relationship between the physical activity (PA) level and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of college students. Health-related quality of life is a multifaceted measure utilized to assess an individual's physical, emotional, mental, and social functioning. This study also sought to understand how factors such as gender, age, academic classification, residence status, and previous high school and club sports involvement influence this relationship. Finally, the study aimed to assess how differences in these variables and in PA level influence HRQoL. Participants included 597 college students from a private university. A revised 4-factor version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) was utilized to assess HRQoL. A statically significant positive correlation was found between PA level and three factors of HRQoL. Differences in HRQoL were found between PA level (sedentary, moderate PA, vigorous PA). The results suggest that PA level was associated with a higher HRQoL across three of the 4-factor SF-36 subscales (physical functioning, role limits due to emotional health problems, and positive emotional energy). Campus staff and health professionals could utilize these findings to educate college students about the benefits of regularly engaging in moderate or vigorous PA.