EXERCISE STAGES OF CHANGE IN TURKISH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS BY SEX, RESIDENCE, AND DEPARTMENT

To examine the exercise behavior of 953 Turkish University students (496 men, 457 women) by sex, residence, and department of study, a stratified sampling method, based on the total number of students in each department, was used to select participants. The mean age of the participants was 21.3 yr. (SD = 1.9). For completed Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests indicated that most Students were at the lower stages of change in exercise habits: Precontemplation (15.2%), Contemplation (31.4%), and Preparation (25.3%), compared with the later stages of Action (75%) and Maintenance (20.6%). Women and students from the Department of Architecture were at lower stages of change than men and Students from other departments (p<.05), but there were no significant differences between students who were living on or off campus. Stage-based interventions Would be appropriate, with focus on the physical activity of women and students in architecture