Purpose: The transition into emerging adulthood is a stressful time fraught with new challenges for many attending post-secondary institutions. Evidently, it is imperative to identify protective factors that can help prevent or reduce mental health problems and improve mental wellbeing during this period so that students can realize their full potential. The purpose of this study was to identify unique movement behavior profiles among emerging adults attending post-secondary institutions, evaluate predictors of profile membership, and to examine the relationships between group membership and indicators of mental health and wellbeing.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2019-2020 deployment of the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey. Emerging adults (N = 15,269; 67.6% female; M age = 20.78 ± 2.00) from 20 post-secondary institutions in Canada self-reported their movement behaviors using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form to assess moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and daily recall questionnaires to assess recreational screen time (ST) and sleep. Participants also completed the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Latent profile analysis was employed.

Results: The results identified five profiles that had similar sleep patterns and were thus characterized by different levels of MVPA and ST: high MVPA/low ST (15%), moderate MVPA/low ST (27%), low MVPA/low ST (46%), moderate MVPA/high ST (3%), and low MVPA/high ST (9%). Several socio-demographic variables were associated with higher odds of profile membership. After adjusting for covariates, findings revealed the healthiest movement behavior profiles (high MVPA/low ST and moderate MVPA/low ST) were associated with the most favorable scores for psychological distress and mental wellbeing. Mixed behavior profiles (low MVPA/low ST and moderate MVPA/high ST) were associated with higher scores for mental wellbeing than the least healthy profile (low MVPA/high ST); however, for psychological distress, profiles characterized by high levels of ST were associated with less favorable scores than the low MVPA/low ST profile regardless of MVPA levels.

Conclusions: Campus-based interventions focused on getting emerging adults to engage in a healthy balance of physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep should be investigated for their potential to reduce the mental health burden of attending post-secondary education.

Purpose: Active commuting to university (ACU) (walking or cycling) represents an opportunity to incorporate physical activity into students’ daily routines. However, AC may be affected by different factors, such as environmental and psychosocial barriers. Consequently, the aims of this study were: i) to examine the differences in the mode of commuting and barriers to active commute among sex and country (Chile vs. Spain); and ii) to analyse the association between the mode of commuting and the perceived barriers for men and women Chilean and Spanish university students.

Methods: The sample included 2269 university students (53.0% women) from three Chilean universities and one Spanish university. Mode of commuting and perceived barriers in ACU was assessed by self-report. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between mode of commuting and barriers in AC.

Results/findings: In Chilean students, the main mode of commuting to and from university was the public commuting, higher in women than men (p<0.001); followed by active commuting, higher in men than women (p<0.001). In Spanish students, the main mode of commuting to and from university was the private commuting, higher in women than men but not significantly (p=0.086). In addition, Chilean men vs. Spanish men presented significant differences in active, public, and private commuting (all, p<0.001). Regarding to country, Chilean students perceived higher barriers to ACU compared to Spanish students (p<0.05). Regarding to sex, Chilean and Spanish women perceived higher barriers to ACU compared to Chilean and Spanish men (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). Chilean and Spanish private commuters reported a larger proportion of planning/psychosocial than environment/safety barriers, mostly in women, compared to Chilean and Spanish active commuters (all, p<0.05).

Conclusion: The most used mode of commuting to university was public in Chilean and private modes for Spanish students. The Chilean students, both men and women, reported higher barriers to ACU compared to Spanish students. Therefore, the findings suggest that the mode of commuting and the perceived barriers to ACU may be influenced by personal factors, such as sex, and environmental factors, such as the cultural context.

Purpose: Physical inactivity has been highlighted as one of the main determinants of childhood obesity, being considered for the WHO as the fourth risk factor with respect to mortality worldwide. Specifically, it has been observed how, during school days, students spend most of their time in sedentary behaviors. Therefore, the educational context is an interesting framework to increase physical activity (PA) levels. The main aim of this project is to develop an intervention program based on the inclusion of PA in academic lessons, as well as to evaluate its impact on PA, health, educational, and cognition outcomes.

Methods: The present study will be a Randomized Controlled Trial at school level. We estimate the participation of 6 high-schools and 300 students from 9th and 10th grade of secondary stage from Southern Spain. Schools will be randomized assigned to a control group (CG; n = 2), experimental group I (EGI; n = 2), and experimental group II (EGII; n = 2). The EGI will carry out an implementation of active lessons in Math subject. The EGII will develop the inclusion of a daily active break 10 minutes long. Both interventions will last 16 weeks, and measures will be taken before the intervention, at week 8, at week 16 (last week), and 4 weeks after the intervention.

Results/findings: PA and sedentary levels will be assessed by accelerometry, levels of health-related physical fitness through field tests, body composition parameters through anthropometry, academic performance through grades, positive health by questionnaires and cognition parameters through specific cognition tests. Additionally, a qualitative study will also be carried out, to identify the teachers’ perception regarding the intervention program (interest, barriers, facilities, student perception of learning, future intention to implement, etc.).

Conclusions: This project will be the first national empirical study about physically active lessons interventions, and it is expected to verify the positive effects of the intervention to promote healthy lifestyles in adolescents during school days. The Active Class study will contribute to create new resources that may be used by teachers in order to increase PA levels and, therefore, improve health during the school days.

Purpose: Little is known about whether food insecurity (FI) is a persistent challenge for college students or whether it is episodic in nature. Food insecure individuals often employ coping strategies to maintain an adequate supply of food, for example, eating less healthy meals to eat more (food management) or buy the cheapest food available (food acquisition). The aim of this study was to assess the rates of episodic and persistent FI among college students at a large Midwestern university and examine whether coping strategies employed were associated with food security status. We hypothesize that students facing persistent FI will employ coping strategies more frequently than other students.

Methods: A randomized sample of students from a large Midwestern university were invited to participate in an online survey. Episodic and persistent FI was assessed using the 10-item UDSA Adult Food Security Survey Module. Coping strategies related to food acquisition and food management were measured using modified questionnaires. Students were classified as facing persistent FI if they experienced FI in both the past 12 months and past 30 days. Chi-squared tests, one-way ANOVAs, and post-hoc analyses were conducted to examine associations of sociodemographic factors and coping strategies with FI status. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between the coping strategies scale and subscales with FI status, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results/findings: Of the 888 study participants, 21.8% experienced FI with 52% and 48% of these students experiencing episodic and persistent FI, respectively. Students facing persistent FI were more likely to be US-born, Black, Hispanic, first-generation, and receive governmental or other financial support (p<0.05). The coping strategy scale and subscales for food acquisition and management were significantly different across food security status (p<0.001) with persistently food insecure students employing coping strategies most frequently. Both episodic and persistent FI and receiving financial support from loans were associated with utilizing coping strategies to a greater extent.

Conclusions: Campus resources may not provide sufficient support for students experiencing persistent FI. Policy and programs that support students long-term are needed. More research related to frequency and duration of FI will help develop tailored-solutions for students.