Abstract Introduction:<\b>
In order for organizations to determine appropriate health promotion programs, it is recommended that they first conduct a needs assessment for their organization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not students at a diverse university in the rural pacific are meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity. Methods:<\b>
A convenience random sample of students (N=150) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-Short Form) via Qualtrics. The survey also included specific demographic questions. RESULTS: Eighty-four percent of students were meeting weekly PA recommendations. There was no significant difference in total minutes of PA per week between those living on-campus (441.0 ± 394.1) compared to off-campus (477.1 ± 364.6, p=0.582). Walking minutes per week were significantly higher for students living on-campus (735.7 ± 892.1) compared to off-campus (424.5 ± 393.0, p=0.006). Finally, minutes of PA per were significantly higher for domestic students (492.6 ± 380.8) compared to international students (334.3 ± 367.4, p=0.032). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that this particular university has a very active student body. This type of information can be helpful for universities to consider when constructing the built environment of a university. Future research may confirm if these patterns of PA are consistent among other universities and determine additional factors of university life that can influence PA. In addition, future study of walking traffic patterns among students may help to develop friendlier pedestrian walkways on and around campuses when designing infrastructure.
