Examining the relationship between physical activity and academic workload in sport science students

With little previous research demonstrating a correlation, our study will allow us to elaborate on the importance of balancing workload and physical activity for post-secondary students. To determine whether there is a significant correlation between school-related workload and sedentary behaviour in sport science students. Participants will be volunteer students attending Douglas College who were enrolled in a minimum of three credits for the semester. These include students currently enrolled in lower-level and upper-level Sports Science classes. Participants will asked to complete a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess their current physical activity (PA) levels. Questions about the participant‚ current academic year, current credit hours they are enrolled in, and time spent on school-related activities, such as attending lectures and working on assignments, were included in the questionnaire to assess the participants‚ academic workload. Our anticipated results are that there will be a correlation between an increase in academic course load and sedentary behaviour, positive effects of physical activity on mental health and cognitive function, and sedentary behaviour to mental health. The implications of our results is to see what is the best course load to keep students physically activity. To provide information to enable students to make informed decisions in regards to their work-life balance. Poster submission was sponsored by Dr.Ken Anderson, (Sports Science Department) for course SPSC 4256 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 12, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.