Accessibility of Online Information About Student Post-Secondary Physical Health Activities and Initiatives on North American Campuses

Physical activity has been shown to improve the wellbeing of young adults pursuing post-secondary education, yet most college students do not perform adequate amounts of physical activity. Given post-secondary students’ reliance on internet and social media for physical activity information gathering, we questioned whether a lack of activity-promoting information might contribute to the activity deficit. Thus, we sought to determine the accessibility and extent of online physical health activity information and initiatives across a sample of large North American campuses by performing a series of physical wellness related searches through Google, the institutions’ sites, and the institutions’ Instagram accounts. Specifically, we question the extent of limitations to the accessibility and content information on institutions’ sites. We found less than half of all web searches and only three-point-five percent of social media posts had topically relevant information. Google was a more effective tool for finding relevant information than institution websites, suggesting institutions could benefit from improving access to physical activity information on their sites. Social media posts were primarily varsity and sport related, indicating a need for increased content about accessible physical activity options. Investigating possible directions to improve institution website usability could benefit student access to physical wellness resources on campus.