Recreational physical activity context and type preferences among male and female Emirati university students
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Author(s)
Doyle, CB
Khan, A
Burton, NW
Year published
2019
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Show full item recordAbstract
Background:
This study assessed recreational physical activity type and context preferences of Emirati university students.
Method:
This was a cross-sectional study in which a stratified random sample (n=628) (female 69.1%, male 30.9% mean age 20.79±3.81 y) completed an online survey. Relationships between gender and preferences were assessed using regression analysis, adjusted for body mass index and age.
Results:
Activities with a fun element were the most preferred context (87.1%). Walking (66.7%) and swimming (61.7%) were the most preferred activity types. Males had significantly higher odds of preferring competitive ...
View more >Background: This study assessed recreational physical activity type and context preferences of Emirati university students. Method: This was a cross-sectional study in which a stratified random sample (n=628) (female 69.1%, male 30.9% mean age 20.79±3.81 y) completed an online survey. Relationships between gender and preferences were assessed using regression analysis, adjusted for body mass index and age. Results: Activities with a fun element were the most preferred context (87.1%). Walking (66.7%) and swimming (61.7%) were the most preferred activity types. Males had significantly higher odds of preferring competitive activities, and activity types such as football, fitness/weights and jogging. Females had significantly higher odds of preferring activities with people of the same gender, with supervision and done at home, and activity types such as walking, aerobics, cycling, squash and yoga. Conclusion: These results can inform physical activity planning for university students in the United Arab Emirates. Fun activity opportunities involving walking or swimming and in the local neighbourhood may be popular for both males and females. Future research could explore uptake and maintenance of activity options, based on preferred activity attributes.
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View more >Background: This study assessed recreational physical activity type and context preferences of Emirati university students. Method: This was a cross-sectional study in which a stratified random sample (n=628) (female 69.1%, male 30.9% mean age 20.79±3.81 y) completed an online survey. Relationships between gender and preferences were assessed using regression analysis, adjusted for body mass index and age. Results: Activities with a fun element were the most preferred context (87.1%). Walking (66.7%) and swimming (61.7%) were the most preferred activity types. Males had significantly higher odds of preferring competitive activities, and activity types such as football, fitness/weights and jogging. Females had significantly higher odds of preferring activities with people of the same gender, with supervision and done at home, and activity types such as walking, aerobics, cycling, squash and yoga. Conclusion: These results can inform physical activity planning for university students in the United Arab Emirates. Fun activity opportunities involving walking or swimming and in the local neighbourhood may be popular for both males and females. Future research could explore uptake and maintenance of activity options, based on preferred activity attributes.
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Journal Title
International Health
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in International Health following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Recreational physical activity context and type preferences among male and female Emirati university students, International Health, ihz002, is available online at: 10.1093/inthealth/ihz002
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This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version.
Subject
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Health sciences
Emirati
college students
physical activity
preferences
university students