A university campus physical activity program

Issue addressed: The transition from youth to adulthood is associated with significant decreases in leisure time physical activity. University campuses are settings in which young adults' physical activity may be influenced.

Methods: Following a survey of students at two urban university campuses, a physical activity program was implemented at one campus over 8 weeks. A follow up survey was then conducted at both campuses. Physical activity was assessed by deriving leisure time participation categories from self reported activity in the last 2 weeks.

Results: Following the campus based programs, students at the intervention campus were significantly more likely to be sufficiently active for long term health benefits than were those at the comparison campus (P<0.001) due to an increase in the proportion of vigorously active students.

Conclusions: Providing programs and opportunities to be physically active in university campuses may help to promote physical activity in young adults.

So what?: Settings based approaches to promoting physical activity in young adults may be pursued at university campuses where facilities and infrastructure exist to support such strategies.