Sedentary behavior and physical activity of young adult university students

ABSTRACT Movement and non‐movement behaviors include sleep, sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA). While young adults are generally perceived as healthy, the level and relationship of SB and PA in college‐age students has not been greatly explored. The purpose of this study was to objectively measure the levels of SB and PA in 18–20 year‐old university students, record their self‐reported extracurricular activities, and explore the relationship of all these with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Male (n = 48) and female (n = 46) students participated in this cross‐sectional study. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine time spent in SB, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), number of self‐reported sedentary extracurricular activities, and their relation to the dependent variables of BMI and WC. In correlation analyses, SB (p