Physical activity barriers, nutrition, motivation, and body composition in university students.

University students showed moderately positive nutritional attitudes and perceived personal factors as the most prominent barriers to physical activity.

• Sample consisted of 600 university students (mean age = 21.08 ± 1.85 years; 50% women)
• Mean nutritional attitudes score was 40.53
• Mean perceived personal barriers score was 30.19, the highest barrier category
• Cross-sectional design using validated scales and bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition

Men scored higher in nutritional attitudes, whereas women reported higher barrier perceptions and higher general motivation levels.

• Gender differences were assessed using t-tests
• Women reported higher perceptions of barriers to physical activity than men
• Women also reported higher general motivation levels compared to men
• Men demonstrated more positive nutritional attitudes than women

Nutritional attitudes were negatively associated with perceived barriers to physical activity, and general motivation showed a weaker but significant negative association.

• Correlation between nutritional attitudes and barriers: r = -0.332
• Correlation between general motivation and barriers: r = -0.189
• Both associations were statistically significant
• Higher nutritional attitudes and higher general motivation corresponded to lower perceived barriers

Nutritional attitudes predicted 11% of the variance in perceived barriers, increasing to 12.5% when general motivation was included.

• Nutritional attitudes alone: R² = 0.110 (11% of variance in barriers explained)
• Adding general motivation to the model increased explained variance to R² = 0.125 (12.5%)
• Multiple regression analyses were used
• Regression assumptions and sampling procedures were checked prior to analysis

Positive nutritional attitudes were associated with higher muscle mass and lower fat percentage, while barrier perceptions showed the opposite pattern.

• Nutritional attitudes positively associated with muscle mass: β = 0.270
• Nutritional attitudes negatively associated with fat percentage: β = -0.156
• Higher barrier perceptions were associated with lower muscle mass and higher fat percentage
• Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis

Higher barriers corresponded to lower overall motivational engagement rather than increased amotivation across all motivation subscales.

• The negative association between barriers and all motivation subscales included the amotivation subscale
• This indicates that higher barriers correspond to lower overall motivational engagement
• The pattern was consistent across all motivation subscales assessed
• General motivation was assessed using a validated scale