Determinants of physical activities in settings (DE-PASS): Freshman university students with weight gain - A cross-sectional study

<ns3:p> Background During the transition from adolescence to adulthood in university life, some students experience weight gain. The physical activity patterns of students who gain weight may differ from those who do not. This study aims to reveal the physical activity-related behaviors of students who gained and did not gain weight during first year of university. Methods A total of 69 weight-gained (study group) and 51 non-weight-gained (control group) students were included in the study. A semi-structured interview was used to determine the factors influencing physical activity. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ) was used to evaluate physical activity levels. The body-esteem scale (BE), which has three parts—BE-appearance, BE-weight, and BE-attribution—and the body appreciation scale-2 (BSA-2) were used to understand body image and the participants' self-evaluation of their body and appearance. Results Changes in eating habits after entering university differed between groups (X <ns3:sup>2</ns3:sup> =4.31, p=0.04). A lower percentage of students in the study group than in the control group were aware of their university's sports facilities (X <ns3:sup>2</ns3:sup> =4.32, p=0.037). A greater percentage of students in the study group reported feeling bored when they did sport alone than did those in the control group (X <ns3:sup>2</ns3:sup> =4.47, p=0.023). While most participants in the study group stated that they did not feel anxious or embarrassed about being observed during physical activity, the BAS-2 and BE-Appearance scores were significantly correlated with IPAQ total scores (r=0.26, p=0.02; r=0.37, p=0.003). Compared with weight-gained females, weight-gained males were more active in the study group (X <ns3:sup>2</ns3:sup> =11.89, p=0.003). In control group activity levels of males and females did not differ (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that the determinants of physical activity differ between students who gain weight and those who do not after entering university. Further research is needed to develop strategies to prevent weight gain among university students. </ns3:p>