ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN FREQUENT SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AND MARKERS OF AEROBIC FITNESS IN COLLEGE AGED STUDENTS

Aim: Social media leisure time activities have become a very popular activity in Worldwide, and with an increase in social media use research has shown a similar decline in physical participation and a decrease in aerobic capacity. Decreases in physical activity time have been positivity associated with an increase for all-cause mortality and the increased risk development for obesity and cardiovascular disease conditions. Methods: A sample of the Northern Illinois student body (n = 161) was examined for associations between social media time on markers of aerobic fitness capacity and daily physical activity. Institution Review Board consent was given, and subjects then were asked to complete a 7-day recall to assess their social media usage, which was interview administered, had a bioimpedance analysis scan, completed a PACER aerobic fitness test, and wore a pedometer for seven days to assess steps per day. Results: Subjects were classified depending on their social media time usage as infrequent users, moderate users, and frequent users by percentile ranks. PACER scores were reduced in the frequent users compared to the infrequent users and this was statistically significant (p = .027). Steps per day exhibited similar trends with a decreased step count per day for the frequent users compared to the infrequent users (p = .023). Conclusions: College students who engage in a greater volume of social media use per day displayed a greater decrease in aerobic fitness as assessed by the PACER test and exhibited a greater decline in physical activity quantified by steps taken per day.