Assessing physical actvity levels among college students: The relationships between perceived physical competence, social anxiety, and the participation in leisure time physical activity

This study examined the relationships between perceived physical competence, social anxiety, and the participation in leisure time physical activity among college students. Data was collected using pen and paper questionnaires that were distributed to a sample of students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro during the Spring 2014 semester. The questionnaire included assessments of leisure time physical activity levels as well as scales that measured perceived physical competence and social anxiety. Relationships between these variables were analyzed broadly as well as across gender and BMI levels. The results suggest that higher levels of perceived physical competence are generally associated with higher levels of leisure time physical activity, and that higher levels of social anxiety are generally associated with lower levels of leisure time physical activity. On average, males indicated participating in more leisure time physical activity than females. Additionally, males exhibited higher levels of perceived physical competence and lower levels of social anxiety than females. Future research and implications for practitioners is discussed.