Physical activity among undergraduate students at a South African university: A social and environmental perspective

Abstract

Understanding the external factors that influence physical activity in the social and environmental context is valuable to inform the  development of evidence-based interventions to increase university students’ physical activity (PA). However, the influence of these  external factors and PA among African undergraduate university students is understudied. This qualitative study aimed to explore the  influence of external factors (social support and physical environment) on PA participation among a convenience sample of  undergraduate students (n = 18) from a historically disadvantaged institution (HDI) in Cape Town, South Africa. Semi-structured  interviews and a reflexive thematic analysis approach were used to generate common themes which were analysed using Atlas Ti.V8.  Findings revealed four major themes in both the social support and physical environment categories, respectively. For social support,  peers and friends were perceived as sources of motivation, encouragement and accountability, while family members provided encouragement, constructive criticism and financial support. Health experts were influential for their guidance and health-related  knowledge. Peer pressure was identified as a negative influence on PA participation. The physical environment played an important role  in PA participation. Preference for PA engagement on and off campus emerged as a category that was influenced by the importance  students placed on the accessibility, affordability and safety of these environments. The findings implicate the need for student-tailored  PA interventions designed to promote safe and accessible spaces for PA engagement, thus addressing social and environmental factors  that influence their decisions to adopt physically active lifestyles.