Baseline comparison and the effects of education and pedometer use on physical activity in undergraduate students in psychology and personal health courses

Concern over the public health impact of inactivity has led to guidelines for healthy levels of physical activity. There is very limited information on typical activity levels or on public health interventions in the university undergraduate population. This three-part study measured self-reported physical activity at two points 10 weeks apart (baseline and exit) during the fall term in an introductory psychology course, and in a course on healthy lifestyles. Both were offered at a Midwestern university. The instrument used was the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Volunteers in the healthy lifestyles course were randomly assigned to five subgroups: control; education given weekly on physical activity; provision of a pedometer; provision of a pedometer and prompts (weekly email prompts to count steps); and provision of a pedometer, prompts, and education. At baseline in the psychology course, reported median weekly physical activity in metabolic equivalent minutes per week (MET ·min·wk-1) was significantly lower in females (4402.0) than in males (5838.0), U = 1504.0, p =.02, r = -.18. This difference disappeared at exit, due to males significantly decreasing their reported median activity levels, T = 329.00, p = .002, r = -.44. In the healthy lifestyles course, there was no significant difference between reported median physical activity levels for males and females at baseline, and there was no significant change over the study period. The psychology participants were significantly younger (18.4 years) than the healthy lifestyles course participants (19.6 years). Different activity patterns may reflect cohort effects. In the pedometer portion of the study, drop-out rates of 84% prevented meaningful interpretation. There were more drop-outs among males (92%) than females (82%). In conclusion, physical activity patterns are gender and cohort specific in this university undergraduate population. Minimal contact interventions, such as pedometer provision, which have been used with moderate success in older adult populations, are insufficient motivators in the university undergraduate population. Additional incentives or more comprehensive strategies must be investigated to achieve activity increases or maintenance in this population. Similarly, epidemiologic research in this population should incorporate incentives for participation in data collection.