Exercise Self-Efficacy And Perceived Wellness In Community College Students

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Date

2015

Department

Community College Leadership Program

Program

Doctor of Education

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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.

Abstract

Contemporary community colleges are challenged to provide comprehensive services to diverse student populations. Research has shown that college students in general, and community college students in particular, have poor health habits. With the diversity of community college students and the increased focus on personal wellness, relevant information is required to develop curricula designed to address students' wellness and exercise needs. Not only is information about community college students' perceived wellness scarce, but it is unclear from prior research in four-year college populations whether demographic variables may predict perceived wellness and exercise self-efficacy in community college students. The construct of social position such as gender, age, student status and relationship status has unique stressors which may impact individual perceptions of exercise self-efficacy and perceived wellness. The purpose of this study was to investigate exercise self-efficacy and perceived wellness among community college students. It examined the extent to which demographic variables interact with Exercise Self-Efficacy and the two subscales of Making time for it and Sticking to it, and Total Perceived Wellness, and the six dimensions of wellness (psychological, physical, social, spiritual, intellectual and emotional). Surveying a sample of 461 students in basic health and wellness courses in a Mid-Atlantic community college, the quantitative design collected data from two measures, the perceived wellness survey and the self-efficacy and exercise habits survey, plus demographic questions. Findings from this study revealed that total exercise self-efficacy does not predict total perceived wellness; however exercise self-efficacy in the dimension of sticking to it, was significant (p=<.05) to the important outcome of total perceived wellness. Demographic variables were shown to be significant in predicting higher levels of wellness using the subscales from the questionnaires. When specific demographic variables were split within the six dimensions of wellness, predictive relationships were identified between exercise self-efficacy and perceived wellness. This research provides evidence that gender, age, student status, and relationship status are statistically significant to higher levels of perceived wellness.