An Analysis of Young Women University Students’s Physical Activity Levels

Abstract

The physical activity (PA) level in women, it seems, tends to decrease in adulthood. The aims of the study were: (i) to evaluate the degree of compliance with PA recommendations in young women university students and (ii) to measure steps and the level of PA in different periods during the week. Eighty-eight young adult girls (21.38 ± 2.71 years) were recruited for this study. Participants wore an “Actigraph GT3X” accelerometer for seven days, collecting minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and steps volume. The results show an 80% of compliance of the 10,000 steps per day and a 220% of compliance of the 300 min/week of MVPA. The analysis shows a trend towards higher steps and PA minutes at the Weekdays (steps/day, BF10 = 168.563, δ = 0.418; meeting recommendations 10,000 steps/day, BF10 = 168.563, δ = 0.419; MVPA minutes/day, BF10 = 10.648, δ = 0.323; meeting recommendations 300 min/week, BF10 = 10.648, δ = 0.324) and during the Out-of-University-Time (steps/day, BF10 = 1.387 × 1010, δ = −0.883; meeting recommendations 10,000 steps/day, BF10 = 1.387 × 1010, δ = −0.886; MVPA minutes/day, BF10 = 1.110 × 1015, δ = −1.138; meeting recommendations 300 min/week, BF10 = 1.1 × 1015, δ = −1.144). This study can provide strategies and motivational PA guidelines at university to enhance well-being in young female university students.