University campus settings and the promotion of physical activity in young adults: lessons from research in Australia and the USA

The Department of Community Medicine (IKM) of Medicine Faculty of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), under the supervision of dr Mubasysyir had asked the team of 15202 to conduct and plan a program to tackle few problems that happen in our society and try to come out with few suggestions that might be able to reduce or even prevent before it became a much larger issue. With the help of Dr Mub, we had manage to use Project Libre (an open software), backed with few articles that we think it might support our planning.

Abstract:

Describes the decreasing prevalence of physical activity participation over the young adult years and the patterns of difference in the physical activity habits of young men and young women. Physical activity habits during the young adult years are likely to be important influences on habitual physical activity during overall adult life and, consequently, have significant implications for long-term health outcomes. Tertiary-education campuses are settings where there exist important yet partially neglected opportunities to influence the physical activity habits of young adults. Uses examples from Australia and the USA are used to characterize relevant contextual and practical aspects of the campus setting and the physical activity promotion opportunities that it may provide. Reviews findings from two campus-based physical activity intervention studies. In conclusion, identifies a set of issues that require further research.

My Opinion:

The article written by Leslie et al point out that the prevalence of younger generation specifically the college students in involving in physical activities are getting reduce in this industrial era. Probably due to certain elements such as campus settings that might not suit the taste of certain group of campus students. The articles also give some idea on what kind of diseases that could be inherit if less physical activities are conducted, typically obesity.

The article also explained the research that conducted to post-collegiate individual that their physical activities decline drastically, probably due to time constraint, since work and family are the main priority, which I agree since after college, carrier and family will be top focus. Thus, it is important to actually expose the in-college students of having physical activities.

To me, having an essential and promising environment to conduct physical activities are necessary. To be honest, we tend to get bored when doing our routine fitness schedule if the environment is restricting it. The term environment here includes the people, the facilities, programs, and supporting. Campus students are still under peer pressure. Thus, lead to why the more people join a program of physical activity, the more interested other students to follow. Having a good program need a lot investment on the facilities. The articles mentioned that smaller size of universities will have problem in providing a proper facility.

Finance kind of a matter to college or university students. For a bigger university that backed up by several foundations, that enable the board to provide free access to all of the students to utilize the sport facilities. This indirectly give more push to the effort of university for encouraging students to get involve in physical activities.

Few studies that have the purpose of maintaining, and provide follow up for post collegiate students to still having physical activity are also discussed in the articles. Mostly conducted in America and Australia. I guess, it is a pin point, since campus students are the pioneer of today line of working force. If they are the leading cause of the trigger of obesity and other chronic diseases, then, sooner or later, in the future, the world will be not able to maintain its productivity but burdened with sick human.

     

Reference:

1.       http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/09654280110387880