Chronic Illness in College Students

Research on the intersectionality of exercise, motivation, barriers, functional disability, psychological factors, and CI in undergraduate college students is limited. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate relationships between exercise behaviors, exercise motivation, barriers to exercise, functional disability, and psychological factors (i.e., anxiety, depression) amongst healthy undergraduate students and those with chronic illnesses (CI). Exercise behaviors, motivation, and barriers were compared across health status (CI vs. healthy) and the predictive capacities of functional disability and psychological factors were evaluated. Undergraduate students (N=200) completed online surveys (Qualtrics). Statistical analyses performed included Hotellings T2, multiple linear regression, and multinomial logistic regression. Findings displayed no differences between health status groups on motivation, but the CI group reported significantly more barriers. Functional disability and depression significantly positively predicted barriers to exercise for both groups. Functional disability significantly inversely predicted physical activity (PA) for students with CIs and significantly positively predicted PA for healthy students. Depression was found to significantly inversely predict PA for healthy students. Anxiety displayed no effect on PA or barriers for either the healthy student or those with CIs. Lastly, students reporting higher functional disability or depression displayed statistically increased odds of motivation from external regulation as opposed to internal regulation. Universities could use this research to implement programs aimed at increasing PA through teaching providers Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques. Practitioners could use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to benefit students in changing their perceptions about barriers to exercise and functional disability.