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Differences in perceived exercise benefit and barrier intensities of exercising and non-exercising female university students
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Differences in perceived exercise benefit and barrier intensities of exercising and non-exercising female university students

J K Parker and Geoff Lovell
Book of Abstracts of the 13th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, pp.170-171
Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS): Sport Science by the Sea, 13th (Estoril, Portugal, 09-Jul-2008–12-Jul-2008)
2008
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Abstract

Psychology Public Health and Health Services exercise benefits
Research has identified a positive health benefit linked to physical activity (PA) in youth and young adult populations (Buckworth, 2001). An area that has been successful in raising levels of awareness as to the possible antecedent events that contribute to low levels of PA is our understanding of barriers to exercise. Findings have revealed that as barriers to exercise increase the frequency of (PA) participation decreases. However, many studies have failed to obtain a homogenous sample. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between exercising and non-exercising female university undergraduates. A sample of female students (n = 101, Mean Age = 19.16, SD = 1.03) were recruited from a university in the South West of England. Nonexercisers were classified as individuals not meeting the ACSM (2000) recommendation of a minimum of 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio, five days a week. All participants completed the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS, Sechrist, Walker & Pender, 1987). Independent t-tests demonstrated that exercisers had significantly lower total barrier scores p < 0.001 and significantly higher benefit scores p < 0.05. MANOVA's performed on the EBBS barrier/benefit sub-scales demonstrated significant group main effects F (4,116) = 5.885; p < 0.001, F (6,114) = 5.319, p < 0.001, respectively, with exercisers recording higher benefit and lower barrier scores. Subsequent univariate analysis found each of the subscales to be significant with the non-exercisers recording higher barriers and lower benefits. Family encouragement and physical exertion were seen to be the greatest perceived barriers to exercise in both groups while psychological outlook and social interaction the greatest benefits. As hypothesised there was an overall trend with exercising females recording lower barrier scores and higher benefit scores than their non-exercising counter parts. However, an interesting result obtained from this study was that both groups found physical exertion to be the highest perceived barrier to exercise. This suggests that future interventions should design and focus health promotion strategies towards reducing the perceptions of fatigue and hard work associated with physical exertion. [Poster Presentation]

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