Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Department of Family and Population Health, Isfahan Province Health Center, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Reduced level of physical activity, as an important problem of urbanization and
industrial development, has a considerable impact on the population morbidity and mortality.
The rate of inactivity has been reported to be 60–85% in adults worldwide. Considering the
importance of physical activity among youth, the aim of this study was to evaluate the physical
activity among university students. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study
physical activity was assessed in 399 medical and public health students of Isfahan University
of Medical Sciences, Iran. Physical activity was evaluated by standard questionnaire in four
fields containing job, transport, work, and leisure time at home. Findings: Regarding moderate
physical activity, 48.6% of students were active and the rest were inactive. Regarding severe
physical activity, 32.6% were active and the rest were inactive. Mean number of hours for
moderate activity per day was 1.96 ± 0.19 h/day in the last 7 days. There was a significant
relationship between physical activity and sex and students’ course of study. Conclusion: The
results indicated that the level of physical activity was not sufficient among students; therefore,
considering its importance among students, it is necessary to educate them regarding lifestyle
modification specially to increase the level of physical activity during their leisure time.
Keywords
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