April 28, 2017
The physical and mental health of many first-year university students takes a sharp decline, even when they are given pedometers to encourage exercise, UBC research has determined.
Assist. Prof. of Health and Exercise Sciences Cristina Caperchione and UBC Okanagan research coordinator Paul Sharp worked with 184 first-year students for a 12-week study to monitor physical activity, quality of life, and psychological well-being. Half the group were given pedometers and asked to record their activity and aim for a goal of 10,000 steps per day, and the other half were not.