School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Aliso Gingell Building, 20 Whitefrairs Street, Coventry, CV1 2DS, UK.
Human Sciences Research Centre, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 1GB, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Apr 11;23(1):670. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15588-w.
Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for developing several chronic illnesses. However, despite strong evidence indicating the health benefits of physical activity, many university staff and students tend to be physically inactive. University settings provide a stable environment where behaviour change interventions can be implemented across multiple levels of change. The aim of this study is to examine the perceived barriers and enablers to physical activity among staff and students in a university setting, using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), a precursor of COM-B behaviour model.
This was a qualitative study carried out at a Midlands University in the United Kingdom. Eight group interviews were conducted with the sample (n = 40) consisting of 6 male and 15 female university staff (mean age = 40.5 ± 10.6 years) with different job roles (e.g., academic, administrative, cleaning and catering staff), and 12 male and 7 female students (mean age = 28.6 ± 4.7 years) at different stages of study (e.g., undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo12 software, responses were mapped using the TDF where theory-driven deductive content analysis was used for data analysis.
Six prominent domains were identified from the group interviews as enablers and/or barriers to physical activity among university staff and students: Environmental context and resources; intentions; social influences; knowledge; beliefs about capabilities; and social/professional role and identity. The themes emerging from the group interviews fit into all 14 domains of the TDF; however, 71% of the themes fit into the six most prominent domains.
These findings suggest that several enablers and barriers influence university staff and students' capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage in physical activity. This study, therefore, provides a theoretical foundation to inform the development of bespoke interventions to increase physical activity among inactive university staff and students.
身体活动不足是导致多种慢性疾病的主要危险因素之一。然而，尽管有大量证据表明身体活动有益健康，但许多大学教职员工和学生往往身体不活跃。大学环境提供了一个稳定的环境，可以在多个层面实施行为改变干预措施。本研究旨在使用理论领域框架（TDF），即 COM-B 行为模型的前身，检查大学环境中教职员工和学生对身体活动的感知障碍和促进因素。
这是在英国中部一所大学进行的一项定性研究。对样本（n=40）进行了 8 次小组访谈，样本由具有不同工作角色（如学术、行政、清洁和餐饮人员）的 6 名男性和 15 名女性大学教职员工（平均年龄 40.5±10.6 岁）以及 12 名男性和 7 名女性学生（平均年龄 28.6±4.7 岁）组成，他们处于不同的学习阶段（如本科生、研究生和国际学生）。访谈进行了录音、逐字转录，并导入 NVivo12 软件，使用 TDF 对回复进行映射，采用理论驱动的演绎内容分析法进行数据分析。
从小组访谈中确定了六个突出的领域，这些领域是大学教职员工和学生进行身体活动的促进因素和/或障碍：环境背景和资源；意图；社会影响；知识；对能力的信念；以及社会/职业角色和身份。小组访谈中出现的主题符合 TDF 的 14 个领域；然而，71%的主题符合六个最突出的领域。
这些发现表明，有几个促进因素和障碍影响了大学教职员工和学生参与身体活动的能力、机会和动机。因此，本研究为制定专门的干预措施提供了理论基础，以提高不活跃的大学教职员工和学生的身体活动水平。
