The effect of smartphone application interventions on physical activity level among university/college students: a systematic review protocol

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health. Seven databases were searched and a total of 59 studies were included. Studies with a comparable control group were meta-analysed, and remaining studies were narratively synthesized. The included studies scored very low GRADE and had a high risk of bias. Meta-analyses indicated physical activity interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety (n = 20, standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.88, 95% CI [-1.23, -0.52]), depression (n = 14, SMD = -0.73, 95% CI [-1.00, -0.47]) and stress (n = 10, SMD = -0.61, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.28]); however, there was considerable heterogeneity (anxiety, I2 = 90.29%; depression I2 = 49.66%; stress I2 = 86.97%). The narrative synthesis had mixed findings. Only five studies reported being informed by a behavioural change theory and only 30 reported intervention fidelity. Our review provides evidence supporting the potential of physical activity interventions in enhancing the mental health of undergraduate students. More robust intervention design and implementation are required to better understand the effectiveness of PA interventions on mental health outcomes.

Influencing Factors of College Students’ Use of Sports Apps in Mandatory Situations: Based on UTAUT and SDT

Sports apps are third-party applications for smartphones or wearables that can help users record fitness data and guide their exercise behavior. Many Chinese college students are compelled to use sports apps for running exercises to improve their physical health and cultivate extracurricular exercise habits; however, the acceptance and use of sports apps by college students in mandatory situations requires elucidation. We explored the influencing factors of university students’ behavioral intention and usage behavior to use sports apps in mandatory situations by combining the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the Self-Determination Theory. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 249 students of Liaoning University of Technology by using non-probabilistic convenient sampling. Data analysis was performed by employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed that (1) the research model explained 66% (R2 = 0.66) of the variance in behavioral intention and 30% (R2 = 0.30) of the variance in usage behavior; (2) performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and autonomous motivation significantly positively affected behavioral intention, while controlled motivation negatively affected behavioral intention; and (3) behavioral intention, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation significantly positively affected usage behavior. The influence of facilitating conditions on usage behavior was non-significant. The results will help technical developers and schools to better understand the influencing factors of college students’ use of sports apps in mandatory situations, and formulate corresponding improvement strategies and policies to further promote the role sports apps play in college students’ exercise behavior.

The Effectiveness of Web-Based Interventions to Promote Health Behaviour Change in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Although web-based interventions are attractive to researchers and users, the evidence about their effectiveness in the promotion of health behaviour change is still limited. Our aim was to review the effectiveness of web-based interventions used in health behavioural change in adolescents regarding physical activity, eating habits, tobacco and alcohol use, sexual behaviour, and quality of sleep. Studies published from 2016 till the search was run (May-to-June 2021) were included if they were experimental or quasi-experimental studies, pre-post-test studies, clinical trials, or randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of web-based intervention in promoting behaviour change in adolescents regarding those health behaviours. The risk of bias assessment was performed by using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP)-Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Fourteen studies were included. Most were in a school setting, non-probabilistic and relatively small samples. All had a short length of follow-up and were theory driven. Thirteen showed significant positive findings to support web-based interventions' effectiveness in promoting health behaviour change among adolescents but were classified as low evidence quality. Although this review shows that web-based interventions may contribute to health behaviour change among adolescents, these findings rely on low-quality evidence, so it is urgent to test these interventions in larger controlled trials with long-term maintenance.

University Students' Motives-for-Physical-Activity Profiles: Why They Practise and What They Get in Terms of Psychological Need Satisfaction

Physical activity (PA) is an important habit for overall health and quality of life, but it tends to recede as young adults transition from high school into university. The present study sought to understand, in the case of university students that still practice PA, their motives for PA and their relationships with psychological need satisfaction (PNS) and characteristics of practice regularity (frequency, duration, team, competitive, coach, league, federation, and type of day of the week for PA). Participants were 423 university students who reported to practice PA (203 identified as men, 191 as women, 29 did not report gender), with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years old (M = 19.91, SD = 1.97). Measures assessing motives for PA, PNS, and PA characteristics were completed. Hierarchical, followed by iterative, cluster analysis was used and four naturally occurring groupings of university students were identified based on their motives for PA: one extrinsic-motives cluster (with both extrinsic motives—fitness and appearance—above the mean), one all-motives cluster (with all five motives above the mean), one intrinsic-motives cluster (with all three intrinsic motives—enjoyment, competence, social—above the mean), and one low-motives cluster (with all motives below the mean). Groupings were compared in terms of the characteristics of their practice regularity (frequency, duration, competition, team, coach, league, federation, type of day of the week used for PA) and their levels of PNS (of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in PA). Significant between-group differences were observed in the duration of single principal PA sessions, minutes per week practicing main PA, total PA minutes per week, and type of day of the week used for PA. The number of days per week devoted to the principal PA and the number of total PAs practiced were similar across all four clusters. With regard to between-group differences in psychological need satisfaction in PA by cluster, these analyses showed the existence of four clearly distinguishable naturally occurring groupings based on motives for PA, which gives researchers and practitioners the possibility to analyze and implement tailored interventions aimed at promoting PA among university students.