Exploring the predictors of physical inactivity in a university setting

The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about the predictors of physical inactivity amongst inactive university administrative staff and PhD students, using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to guide the exploration. It was hypothesised that the predictors of physical inactivity will differ between administrative staff and PhD students. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to assess the physical activity levels of the university administrative staff and students, with those scoring below 600 MET/minutes of total moderate physical activity regarded as physically inactive and were thus included in this study. The findings of this study indicated that 64% of university administrative staff and 62% of PhD students who responded to the survey were physically inactive (i.e., scored below 600 MET/minutes of total moderate physical activity).

Furthermore, the 14 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) were measured using the Determinants of Physical Activity Questionnaire (DPAQ) and multiple regression analyses were used to identify the domains of the TDF that predict physical inactivity among university administrative staff and PhD students. The findings suggested that the physical skills domain of the TDF was the main predictor of physical inactivity among university administrative staff, while the knowledge and intentions domains were the main predictors of physical inactivity among university PhD students.