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Can Changes in Psychosocial Factors and Residency Explain the Decrease in Physical Activity During the Transition from High School to College or University?

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Abstract

Background

When students make the transition from high school to college or university, their physical activity (PA) levels decrease strongly. Consequently, it is of crucial importance to identify the determinants of this decline in PA.

Purpose

The study aims were to (1) examine changes in psychosocial factors in students during the transition from high school to college/university, (2) examine if changes in psychosocial factors and residency can predict changes in PA, and (3) investigate the moderating effects of residency on the relationship between changes in psychosocial factors and changes in PA.

Method

Between March 2008 and October 2010, 291 Flemish students participated in a longitudinal study, with baseline measurements during the final year of high school and follow-up measurements at the start of second year of college/university. At both time points, participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, active transportation, leisure-time sports, psychosocial variables, and residency. Repeated measures MANOVA analyses and multiple moderated hierarchic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Modeling, self-efficacy, competition-related benefits, and health-related, external and social barriers decreased, while health-related benefits and time-related barriers increased from baseline to follow-up. Decreases in modeling and time-related barriers were associated with a decrease in active transportation (adjusted R 2 = 3.2 %); residency, decreases in self-efficacy, competition-related benefits, and increases in health- and time-related barriers predicted a decrease in leisure-time sports (adjusted R 2 = 29.3 %). Residency only moderated two associations between psychosocial factors and changes in PA.

Conclusion

Residency and changes in psychosocial factors were mainly important to explain the decrease in leisure-time sports. Other factors such as distance to college/university are likely more important to explain the decrease in active transportation; these are worth exploring in future studies. Because few interactions were found, similar interventions, focusing on self-efficacy, time management, and increasing perceived benefits may be effective to increase leisure-time sports in all students.

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Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank Dieter Thys, Jasper Vermassen, Maïté Verloigne, Stefanie Van Eenoo, Kim Naessens, Joris Vandamme, Julie Deman, Tineke Gysel, Dorien Goubert, Nina Van Roosbroek, Laurien Eylenbosch, Jan De Can, Nick Deforce, Tomas De Lange, Philippe De Bruycker, Andy Magherman, Elke Stoffels, Lien Van Nuffel, Ilse De Bonte, Thomas Isebaert, Hannes Bonami, Ilke Neirynck, Julie Monseweyer, Sylvie Uytterhaegen, Anne Veeckman, Daphné Stouten, and Mieke Criquielion for their assistance in data collection. The first author is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO—postdoctoral fellowship). Support for this study was also provided by the post-doctoral fellowship (Research Foundation Flanders) of the last author.

Informed Consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

Delfien Van Dyck, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Tom Deliens, and Benedicte Deforche declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Delfien Van Dyck

  2. Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Delfien Van Dyck, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij & Benedicte Deforche

  3. Department of Human Biometrics and Biomechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Tom Deliens & Benedicte Deforche

Authors
  1. Delfien Van Dyck
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  2. Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij
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  3. Tom Deliens
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  4. Benedicte Deforche
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Correspondence to Delfien Van Dyck.

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Van Dyck, D., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Deliens, T. et al. Can Changes in Psychosocial Factors and Residency Explain the Decrease in Physical Activity During the Transition from High School to College or University?. Int.J. Behav. Med. 22, 178–186 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9424-4

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