Document Type
Article
Publication Date
January 2018
Journal
Journal of American College Health
Volume
67
Issue
3
First Page
215
Last Page
223
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1080/07448481.2018.1469503
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the most suitable health messages and designs to create point-of-choice prompts for promoting active transportation and stair- case use that would appeal to undergraduate students. Participants: Undergraduate students (N 1⁄4 21; 71% women) were recruited during Fall (2016) and Winter (2017) semesters. Methods: Focus groups (50–80minutes each) were organized to obtain students’ feedback on the kind of messages and poster designs they found motivational. Inductive content analysis was performed on verbatim transcripts. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize demographic characteristics of participants. Results: The major themes revealed that participants: preferred simple designs with tailored messages; had diverse lifestyle-based values associated with physical activity; and participation in activities were affected by uncontrollable factors (eg, time, built environment, and weather). Conclusions: This study provides insights for designing suitable point-of-choice prompts that are tailored for university students in terms of future interventions that aim to improve their activity levels.