Comparison of salient beliefs across different levels of leisure time physical activity among university students

Abstract

The present study is the first in the field of physical activity research to systematically compare the findings of an elicitation study on leisure-time physical activity between individuals classified as physically active and physically inactive. The primary aim of this study was to compare leisure-time physical activity beliefs between South Korean university students classified as active and inactive based on whether they meet the recommended physical activity levels. The objective was to identify key differences and investigate potential reasons for these differences. To address this aim, the study employed two separate elicitation interviews focused on identifying modal salient beliefs regarding leisure-time physical activity. Participants were classified into active and inactive groups based on their self-reported leisure-time physical activity. The active group was defined as those engaging in at least 150 minutes of leisure-time physical activity per week, while the inactive group reported less than this amount. Beliefs cited by more than 30% of the sample were deemed modal salient. Data analysis uncovered marked disparities in the beliefs held by active versus inactive students, demonstrating that the cognitive structures concerning leisure-time physical activity are heterogeneous across these two groups. Such variations likely stem from the inherent characteristics distinguishing the two groups, as well as their divergent histories of engagement with leisure-time physical activity. The findings suggest that active and inactive students hold distinct belief structures regarding leisure-time physical activity. Future elicitation studies should explicitly compare these groups to better identify factors that could promote physical activity participation among inactive individuals.