Physical activity levels, patterns and motivation of first-year undergraduate university students in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

Abstract

First-year students are often considered inactive when transitioning into the university environment. Understanding what motivates students to participate in leisure-time physical activity (PA) is important to support their health and well-being. The aim of this study was to examine the motivational factors influencing leisure-time PA among first-year university students at a university in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This cross-sectional study, undertaken between September and November 2022, collected data from a convenience sample (n = 206, predominantly female, 67.1%; mean age:19.90 ± 2.75 years) of university students. Using a self-administered survey, information was gathered on the students’ sociodemographic, who also completed the Preferred PA Questionnaire (PPA-Q). The students’ PA and motivation were assessed using the International Physical Activity-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS), respectively. Data analysis using SPSS indicated that approximately half of the first-year students (42.2%) were moderately active, 31.1% reported high (health enhancing) levels of activity, while 26.7% were classified as having low PA engagement, favouring being physically active in the evening (38.3%) and participating in cardiovascular activities. Among first-year students, the average measured sedentary time was approximately 4 hours and 25 minutes per weekday. Motivation for participation was predominantly intrinsic, with the strongest drivers being physical condition (M = 3.40, SD = 0.84), psychological well-being (M = 3.22, SD = 0.96), and enjoyment (M = 3.15, SD = 0.88). In contrast, extrinsic motivations such as affiliation (M = 2.43, SD = 0.93), competition (M = 2.14, SD = 1.01), and others' expectation (M = 1.80, SD = 1.04) were least influential. Universities should implement policies that create enabling environments which prioritise enjoyable, inclusive, and socially engaging opportunities, thereby supporting first-year students’ intrinsic motivations to adopt and sustain physically active lifestyles.