Date

7-22-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

JoAnna Cupp

Keywords

physical activity, academic performance, higher education, exercise, non-traditional student, grade point average

Disciplines

Education | Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine a relationship between physical activity (PA) participation and academic performance (AP) among non-traditionally aged undergraduate students (NTAS), aged 25 and older, which represents one of the fastest growing enrollment segments at higher education institutions within the US. The sample (n = 167) was constituted of undergraduate students aged 25 and older enrolled at a large private university located in the Southeastern US for two consecutive academic terms. Data collection was comprised of disseminating a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) accompanied by a brief demographic survey to aggregate responses related to self-reported PA behavior and grade point average (GPA) during the prior term. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient (Spearman’s rho) was used to determine relationships between the predictor variable of PA and criterion variable of AP. The results establish a strong, positive relationship between frequency of participation in vigorous physical activity (FVPA) and GPA (r = .869, p < 0.01), frequency of participation in moderate physical activity (FMPA) and GPA (r = .909, p < 0.01), walking days per week (WALK) and GPA (r = .919, p < 0.01), and sitting time per weekday in hours per day (SIT) and GPA (r = .917, p < 0.01). In conclusion, PA and AP share a strong positive relationship among NTAS, however, in consideration of the sample size and methodology, this study should be viewed as a preliminary investigation of the interplay of PA and PA, thus further research is warranted.

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