A recent study by the University of British Columbia (UBC) found that first-year students experience a significant decline in both physical and mental health, even with the aid of a pedometer to boost physical activity.
The study followed 184 first-year students over a 12-week period to observe students’ physical activity, as well as their overall well-being.
Paul Sharp, a UBC Okanagan research coordinator who worked on the study, said students were given a pedometer and were told to reach a goal of 10,000 steps a day, and were compared against a control group.
“Surprisingly, we did not see a significant change in physical activity among those students that received the pedometer-based intervention compared to those that did not,” Sharp said. The findings, he said, “may suggest that a more intensive intervention is needed for students.”
Sharp said the findings may indicate that students need to take more initiative to make positive changes to their physical health.
“Students can change the decline in health . . . [by taking] a break from school work once in while so they can breathe, feel refreshed and energized to forge ahead in their studies,” he said.
But he said pedometers are still an effective tool in promoting positive health behaviours.
Sharp said he conducted the study because he was interested in exploring options to help students maintain their physical health while undergoing the challenges of transitioning from high school to university.
“I can attest to some of the challenges faced by students during this transitional period,” he said. “I wanted to see if I could design an intervention to help students stay physically active.”
Third-year neuroscience and mental health student, Sharon Babalola, said that while she has never used a pedometer, she is not surprised that student often experience a decline in physical health when entering university.
“I have noticed my physical health decline [since first-year] . . . I think it is probably due to academic stress and the constant pressure to make sure I get good grades” she said.
Sharp said the first year of university “is a critical period in an individual’s life where they establish health behaviours that may last a lifetime.”
“Efforts should be made by students, instructors, and policy makers alike to prevent declines in physical activity and promote healthy habits,” he said.
– Photo by Angela Tilley
