UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Summer is a time of increased outdoor activity, from swimming to hiking and more, but can that activity translate to reduced cardiometabolic risk factors like hypertension and obesity? It can, even in younger adults like college students, according to researchers in Penn State’s Department of Kinesiology. Those researchers recently found that physical fitness measurements were more accurate than reported physical activity in identifying heart health risk among college students.
The researchers used objective physical fitness measurements and a self-reported physical activity survey to evaluate which assessment best predicted cardiometabolic health in college students enrolled in a general health and wellness course. The team published their findings in International Journal of Exercise Science. The discrepancy could possibly arise from students not accurately assessing their activity levels, said study author Melissa Bopp, professor of kinesiology.
“College students are vulnerable to poor health decisions because of the many transitions occurring at this time in their lives,” said Keegan Peterson, who recently earned his doctorate in kinesiology from Penn State and was the lead author of the study. “As they transition from high school to college, their newfound independence, coupled with new academic stressors, can influence their activity levels and put them at a greater risk for chronic disease later in life. To determine how to best predict risk, we compared objective fitness measures against self-reported physical activity.”
The researchers analyzed data from 1,418 male and female college students between the ages of 18 and 23 who completed an assessment of their cardiometabolic risk factors and physical fitness.
The health assessment measured participants’ blood pressure, waist circumference, blood lipid and glucose levels — factors reflecting how the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems are performing. The team also tested cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance to determine the participants’ physical fitness, or how well the participants can perform various tasks efficiently and effectively.
Following the objective data collection, participants completed a subjective health assessment that collected their socio-demographic data and surveyed them on their physical activity level and behaviors.
After analyzing this data, the researchers determined that the strongest predictors of cardiometabolic health were the objective health measurements, specifically participants’ physical fitness. This finding held true for all participants, regardless of gender, race or other sociodemographic factors.
“We found that the objective fitness measurements, such as cardiorespiratory fitness and hand grip strength, better indicated the participants’ cardiometabolic health than their reported physical activity,” Bopp said. “Although physical activity is important for overall fitness, students may not be getting as much activity as they think. Alternatively, they may misrepresent the activity because they know they should be more active.”
Although objective measures may better indicate risk for chronic disease later in life, increasing physical activity is key to improving those measures and decreasing risk for this population, according to Bopp.
“The problem is not that physical activity is not important,” she said, explaining that the discrepancy appears to come down to self-reported data versus accurate measurements. “For doctors or researchers who want to understand the risks faced by college students, they need objective data.”
The researchers suggested that college students do not need to set aside dedicated time for workouts in their day to improve their physical activity levels; the solution can be as simple as making small adjustments to their daily transportation options.
“In our lab, we like to say ‘any activity is good activity,’” Peterson said. “If college students can walk to class instead of taking the bus, or if they can take a bus halfway and bike the rest of the way, those choices can increase their physical fitness levels. Building these habits now will only benefit them later in life as it will help reduce the risks for these negative health outcomes.”
Gabrielle Barraco, 2024 graduate of the kinesiology master's program; Melissa Rodgers, associate teaching professor of kinesiology and the director of Penn State’s Center for Fitness and Wellness; and Jennifer Niessner, contributed to this research.