College student aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity inequities
Open Access
- Author:
- Wilson, Oliver
- Graduate Program:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 07, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Melissa Jean Bopp, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Melissa Jean Bopp, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
M Blair Evans, Committee Member
David S Guthrie, Committee Member
Jen Putnam Agans, Outside Member
Jonathan Bates Dingwell, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Emerging adults
Exercise
Race
Sexual orientation
Gender
Gender identity
Equity
Health - Abstract:
- The benefits of physical activity to individual physical and mental health, as well as wider society, are well established. Yet, the physical activity participation levels of many remain insufficient, and considerable disparities (inequities) exist. Physical activity inequities tend to mirror those in associated health outcomes. Thus, identifying and understanding the reasons underpinning physical inequities is crucial to achieving equitable health outcomes. Emerging adulthood (18-25 years) is an important portion of the life span for shaping lifelong health trajectories through the development of health behavioral tendencies and habits. It is a period during which many pursue a post-secondary education, thus making institutions of higher education ideal settings to promote physical activity and address inequities in a cost-effective manner at a larger scale. This dissertation is comprised of five studies. The first is a scoping review that critically examines the contemporary college student physical activity literature, in particular how physical activity is measured and disparities are examined. Studies two and three examine disparities in college student aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity based on intersection of gender with race/ethnicity and sexual orientation respectively. Study four examines disparities in college student aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity based on gender identity. Finally, study five examines college women’s perceptions of factors contributing to gender disparities/inequities in physical activity and campus recreation facility use using one-on-one interviews. Findings can be distilled into two conclusions. Firstly, it is untenable to ignore or treat socio-demographic characteristics as mutually exclusive categories when researching or promoting physical activity. Secondly, multiple levels of influence must be considered by those researching and promoting physical activity, as failure to appreciate and address any level of influence (socio-demographic characteristics, intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, environments, or policies) risks compromising attempts to reach and achieve meaningful conclusions and improvements in physical activity respectively.