Document Type
Article
Publication Date
January 2017
Journal
International Journal of Exercise Science
Volume
10
Issue
8
First Page
1116
Last Page
1129
Abstract
he purpose of this study was to calculate a total daily sedentary time for the undergraduate population at a large urban Canadian University and investigate student perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle. A sample of 335 participants responded to an online questionnaire that included the SIT-Q and open-ended questions, with 102 providing sufficient data to be included in the quantitative analysis and 145 in the qualitative analysis. Students spent an average of 11.88 ± 3.46 hrs/day engaged in sedentary behaviors. Three themes were identified as facilitators to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle: 1) access to a gym, 2) student jobs, and 3) walking to and on campus. Two themes were identified as barriers to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle: 1) sitting in class and 2) studying outside of class. Similar to desk-based working adults, undergraduate students have levels of sedentary behavior that warrant further investigation and intervention, perhaps most effectively within the universityclassroom.