Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2020 Motivators and Barriers Affecting Physical Activity Participation in Online Graduate Students Gloria Christine Bales Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Epidemiology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Health Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Gloria Christine Bales has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. Manoj Sharma, Committee Chairperson, Public Health Faculty Dr. Michael Brunet, Committee Member, Public Health Faculty Dr. Simone Salandy, University Reviewer, Public Health Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.
Walden University 2020 Abstract Motivators and Barriers Affecting Physical Activity Participation in Online Graduate Students by Gloria Christine Bales MS, Wright State University, 2005 BA, East Tennessee State University, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University May 2020 Abstract Physical inactivity is a major contributor to chronic diseases, especially coronary heart disease. The American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II showed that only 47.4% of college students are meeting suggested physical activity requirements. As the nontraditional student population increases, research is needed to identify motivators and barriers specifically for online graduate students. The purpose of this case study was to examine the relationships of barriers and motivators for physical activity in online graduate students at an online university.
The study addressed research questions on what physical activity barriers existed in this study sample, (b) what intrinsic motivators and extrinsic motivators towards physical activity existed in the study sample, and (c) what difficulties were present in collecting data from online students. The study was based on the self determination theory (SDT), used to understand the motivation of health behaviors. The Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 instrument was used to understand intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to exercise. The research design was an in-depth illustrative case study of 13 online university graduate students.
Questionnaires were posted through an online participant pool. The frequencies were tabulated to show that physical barriers were not perceived by most to interfere with physical activity, intrinsic motivators most valued were enjoyment, ill-health avoidance, and stress management, and extrinsic most valued were appearance and weight management. Understanding the motivators and barriers among online students can initiate a positive social change to create more effective programs and opportunities to increase activity rates among online graduate students. Motivators and Barriers Affecting Physical Activity Participation in Online Graduate Students by Gloria Christine Bales MS, Wright State University, 2005 BA, East Tennessee State University, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University May 2020 Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my loving family, my husband Nick and my son Alec, who gave me moral support throughout the process.
I would also like to dedicate my dissertation to my deceased grandparents, Jim and Jean, who encouraged me to accomplish all that I can throughout my life. Their support helped drive this accomplishment. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my parents, Laura and Charles, who have offered their support throughout. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge all of those who have helped me undertake this project.
My committee chair, Manoj Sharma, encouraged me throughout the research and writing process. Heidi Marshall (my writing instructor) was very supportive throughout her writing course, and the experience really changed and made a positive impact on my writing. I would also like to thank Mr. Markland for allowing me to use the EMI-2 instrument.
The EMI-2 is based on self determination theory, the framework of this study. I am proud to have used this instrument on a population that it has not been used on. I would like to thank God for his strength and guidance in this endeavor. Table of Contents List of Tables.
iv List of Figures. iv Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.6 Purpose of the Study .9 Research Questions and Hypotheses. 10 Theoretical Framework for the Study .11 Definition of Terms.18 Scope and Delimitations .20 Significance of the Study .23 Chapter 2: Literature Review .25 Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults. 27 Literature Research Strategy .32 i SDT and the EMI-2 Instrument Applied.
36 Literature Review Related to Key Variables and/or Concepts .…………42 Summary and Conclusions .44 Chapter 3: Research Method.47 Research Design and Rationale .48 Role of the Reasercher .50 Background of Data Collection from Previous Study. 51 Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs. 53 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection. 55 Data Analysis Plan.
55 Issues of Trustworthiness .66 ii Evidence of Trustworthiness.71 Research Question One. 71 Research Question Two. 75 Research Question Three .83 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations .85 Interpretation of Findings .87 Limitations of the Study.96 Implications for Positive Social Change .100 Appendix A: EMI-2 Instrument and Key. 116 Appendix B: Demographics and Barriers Survey on SurveyMonkey .118 Appendix C: Sample Exercise Diary on SurveyMonkey .121 iii List of Tables Table 1.
Summary of Self-Determination Theory Studies. Physical Activity Studies and Significant Findings. One-Week Exercise Diaries. Frequency of Activity Barriers.
EMI-2 Scoring Key for Group 1 Motivators. EMI-2 Scoring Key for Group 2 Motivators. EMI-2 Scoring Key for Group 3 Motivators. EMI-2 Scoring Key for Group 4 Motivators.
EMI-2 Scoring Key for Group 5 Motivators. Frequency of Scores for Intinsic Motivators. Frequency of Scores for Extrinsic Motivators. 79 iv List of Figures Figure 1.
Motivators and barriers for physical activity using the self determination theory. Physical activity participation for online graduate students .63 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Introduction Chronic diseases, especially coronary heart disease, is a major concern among health care professionals, especially in the United States, and physical activity has been known to reduce the risk of such diseases. Physical activity can have multiple benefits, not only reducing coronary heart disease but also being correlated with a reduction in depression, reducing the risk of developing Type II diabetes, and reducing the risk of some cancers (Penglee, Christiana, Battista, & Rosenberg, 2019). One of the results of a sedentary lifestyle is the increase in technological advances.
Adults in the United States have been reported to spend approximately 11 to 12 hours during the day being sedentary, and this may have major impacts on coronary disease (Diaz et al, 2019). High levels of moderate and vigorous activity may help to eliminate this increased risk (Diaz et al. Penglee et al. (2019) conducted a study on smartphone use and physical activity in college students in the United States and Thailand.
They found that increased use of smartphones was correlated with a decrease in activity in students from Thailand (Penglee et al. Students from the United States had more days of physical activity, but those students also had a higher body mass index than the Thai students (Penglee et al. The American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) survey revealed that only 47.4% of the college student populations were meeting physical activity requirements (Kulavic, Hultquist, & McLester, 2013). Physical inactivity can be a contributor to chronic disease in the future, 2 mental disease in the present, and other physical disorders in college students (Penglee et al.
Thus, increasing exercise must be a priority. The college population is an effective target population in which to intervene in the disease process by using educational programs and providing exercise facilities or alternate opportunities to be active. Students growing into adulthood will undergo many changes, and there are many sedentary aspects of college, such as sitting in classes and completing homework (Diehl, Fuchs, Rathmann, & Hilger-Kolb, 2018). Interventions at this stage encourage a long-term change in behavior.
Providing resources for all college student populations has become challenging as the number of online college students, the focus of this study, has increased (see Kulavic et al. Online students do not have the same physical education opportunities and exercise facilities as traditional college students. Therefore, physical activity programs and opportunities for the online student population need to be developed (Kulavic et al. Online college students often lack access to a fitness facility, intramural sports, or educational classes on physical activity.
In addition, online students or nontraditional students may have added responsibilities, such as having a full-time job or caring for children, as well as being older than the typical college student, all of which can act as barriers to exercise (Kulavic et al. In a traditional college setting, students have changing circumstances. These changes may create barriers and motivators for physical activity. Traditional university sports programs may be offered, and qualitative findings from a mixed method study showed that students found these activities to reduce stress and take their mind off their problems (Diehl et al.
In this study, I aimed to gain a better understanding of online 3 graduate students’ motivators and barriers to physical activity. With this knowledge, future health promotion programs can be developed to promote an increase in activity among this population, which can provide a better quality of life. In order to accomplish these goals for the online student population, partnerships should be formed with physical fitness facilities and organizations providing online support through educational programs. Background A case study from Turkey emphasized the growing concern for obesity rates in childhood and adulthood in developing countries as well as around the globe (Steenson et al.
Childhood obesity has been correlated with an increased risk in chronic diseases throughout adulthood (Steensen, et al. Parents in Steenson et al.’s (2018) study reported these top barriers to physical activity: lack of free time, work, being tired, family, access, safety, and pollution. Online graduate students in my institutional review board (IRB) approved study were nontraditional, and they had many of the responsibilities as the parents Steenson et al. Meeting recommended guidelines for physical activity may be challenging, and in this study, I explored the motivators and possible barriers found in an online university population of graduate students.
Guidelines for activity in adults are a minimum of 150 and up to 300 minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity per week (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2018). Alternatively, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular activity could be performed per week for benefits (Office of Disease Prevention and Health 4 Promotion, 2018). In addition to cardiovascular activity, two or more strength training sessions are to be performed each week (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2018). Additional benefits can be gained by surpassing the 300 minutes of moderate activity (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2018).
Many university students suffer from physical inactivity due to class activities, which creates a need for advanced intervention programs during this stage of life (Diehl et al. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess various health behaviors in the United States. According to the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 79.5% of the population surveyed ages 18 and above did not participate in the required guidelines for aerobic and muscle strengthening activities (CDC, 2015). Physical activity practices among traditional college students have been the focus in multiple studies to investigate reasons for the decline during college years.
For example, in the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment II, only 47.4% of college students, traditional and nontraditional, reported that they are meeting physical activity guidelines (as cited in Kulavic et al.