More Barriers, Less Benefits: Physical Activity Participation Among LGBTQ+ College Students

College years are formative in developing physical activity (PA) behaviors that present post-graduation; however, sexual minority (SM) college students continue to report reduced levels of PA compared to heterosexual (H) students. PURPOSE: To examine current PA levels and perceived benefits and barriers to PA among college students, by sexual orientation. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey with a volunteer sample of college students from a large, Northeastern university. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) assessed PA levels and a modified Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (m-EBBS) assessed perceived benefits and barriers to PA (18 items). The m-EBBS utilizes a 4-point Likert scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). An exploratory factor analysis, involving a principal factor analysis with a quartimax rotation, of the m-EBBS condensed the 18 items into 3 factors: 1) Barriers to PA, 2) Physical and mental benefits of PA, and 3) Social outcomes of PA. The following criteria were used to determine inclusion of items: communalities >0.30, a primary factor loading >0.40, and Cronbach's alpha >0.80. Kaiser criterion and the scree test informed preferred factor solution. RESULTS: Among participants (n = 114), a Mann-Whitney U test revealed SM students had significantly lower mean (M) weekly minutes of active transportation (AT) (MH = 221.00±166.91 vs. MSM = 143.03±161.62; p = 0.05) and vigorous-intensity PA (VPA) (MH = 148.37±133.13 vs. MSM = 103.41±148.88; p = 0.03) compared to H students. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) evaluated differences in mean scores of the three factors by sexual orientation status, revealing SM students reported more perceived barriers to PA (MH = 1.96±0.64 vs. MSM = 2.55±0.77; p<0.001), less perceived physical and mental benefits of PA (MH = 3.65±0.46 vs. MSM = 2.38±0.49; p = 0.002), and less perceived social outcomes of PA (MH = 2.85±0.72 vs. MSM = 2.34±0.67; p = 0.002) compared to H students. CONCLUSIONS: SM students participate in less weekly minutes of AT and VPA and perceive more barriers to PA and less health benefits (physical, mental, and social) to PA compared to H students. Future research is needed to examine why these disparities exist and best practices to reduce PA barriers faced by SM students.