Exercise Stages of Change in Turkish University Students by Sex, Residence, and Department

Abstract

To examine the exercise behavior of 953 Turkish university students (496 men, 457 women) by sex, residence, and department of study, a stratified sampling method, based on the total number of students in each department, was used to select participants. The mean age of the participants was 21.3 yr. (SD = 1.9). For completed Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests indicated that most students were at the lower stages of change in exercise habits: Precontemplation (15.2%), Contemplation (31.4%), and Preparation (25.3%), compared with the later stages of Action (7.5%) and Maintenance (20.6%). Women and students from the Department of Architecture were at lower stages of change than men and students from other departments (p< .05), but there were no significant differences between students who were living on or off campus. Stage-based interventions would be appropriate, with focus on the physical activity of women and students in architecture.

Influence of Leg Dominance on Single-Leg Stance Performance During Dynamic Conditions: An Investigation into the Validity of Symmetry Hypothesis for Dynamic Postural Control in Healthy Individuals

“…While the General Health Status Questionnaire was used to identify health status, the Exercise Stage of Change Questionnaire-ESOC (18) was employed to determine the physical activity level of the subjects. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the ESOC were tested by Cengiz et al (19). The experimental protocol was approved by the (Middle East Technical University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences No:78-1597) local ethics committee.…”

Physical Education and Sport: Does Participation Relate to Physical Activity Patterns, Observed Fitness, and Personal Attitudes and Beliefs?

“…In addition, most of the above mentioned previous studies in Turkish context conducted in school aged population (Daskapan et al, 2006;Savci et al, 2006;Cengiz et al, 2009;İnce & Ebem, 2009;Koca et al, 2009;Kin-İşler et al, 2009;Karaca et al , 2009). This causes a serious limitation in the generalization of the findings to older adult population.…”

“…Sex differences in PA level presented in a number of studies previously (WHO, 2010;Trost et al, 2002;Cengiz et al, 2009;Ince & Ebem 2009). These studies indicated a higher PA level in men as compared to women population.…”

“…Burden of Disease, 2004;Koçak, 2005;Daskapan et al, 2006;Savci et al, 2006;Aktener et al, 2006;Cengiz et al, 2009;İnce & Ebem, 2009;Haşıl-Korkmaz & Arabacı, 2008;Kin-İşler et al, 2009;Karaca et al 2009) or social environment components (Kulakac et al, 2006;Koca et al, 2009) independently.…”

The role of physical activity in pre-service teachers’ subjective vitality

“…Several studies also suggest that university students should participate more in physical activities in university years. [11][12][13][14][15][16]. Okazaki et al [17] report that 46.7 of male university students and 61.3 female university students fail to satisfy the need for daily physical activity suggested by the World Health Organization [2].…”