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Understanding the College Lifestyle: Examining How Academic Workload and Physical
Activity Affect the Perceived Stress Levels of College Students
A Research Proposal
Jeffrey R. Harmeyer
Department of Kinesiology and Health
Miami University
KNH 402
Winter 2014
Paper submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree
for the Liberal Education capstone experience at Miami University

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Understanding the College Lifestyle: Examining How Academic Workload and Physical
Activity Affect the Perceived Stress Levels of College Students
The transition from high school to college can be a difficult and confusing time for many
young adults. Initial images of the college lifestyle flash through a student’s mind as their time to
experience freedom, enjoy college parties, meet new people, attend collegiate sporting events,
and the list rolls on. In fact, many college graduates will gladly explain to others that college was
the greatest four years of their lives; however, they tend to leave out the fact that college requires
responsibility, discipline, dedication, time management skills, and an endless amount of
studying. This transition is described as a “culture shock involving significant social and
psychological relearning in the face of encounters with new ideas, new teachers and friends with
quite varied values and beliefs, new freedoms and opportunities, and new academic, personal,
and social demands” (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991). Constant demands are being placed on
college students to adapt quickly to new academic standards, to be involved in school clubs, to
help out a teacher with a research study, to rush a fraternity or sorority; the demands are endless.
Students, who cannot adapt or balance their college life out, tend to suffer high levels of stress,
resulting in potential harm to students’ health and development. If you still think you’re ready to
being your college career, then welcome to college!
The definition of stress has been debated for years because it is such a complex term to
define. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term stress is defined as “a state of mental
tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.” In 1985, Whitman described
stress as an experience that evokes negative feelings or thoughts; however, not everyone stresses
over the same experiences nor do they experience stress the same ways. Student stress levels are

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on the rise, according to Robotham (2008) and with higher levels of stress come poor health
behaviors and harm to the well being of the students. Specifically, students’ stress is originating
from course overload and academic evaluation procedures (Zeidner 1992). Similar to the
previous study, Grace (1997) found that “increases in reported stress could be attributed to the
set of academic and social stressors within the college setting, such as examinations,
interpersonal relationships, and the transition to living independently”. In a study conducted by
Kadapatti and Vijayalaxmi (2012), it was stated that “academic stress is the product of a
combination of academic-related demands that exceed the adaptive resources available to an
individual. High levels of academic stress in college students can lead to an abundance of health
problems, so it is important that research studies focus on ways to prevent and find ways to cope
with stress.
It has been debated that college students could use physical activity as a way to mediate
their stress levels. VanKim and Nelson (2012) found that “vigorous PA is positively associated
with better mental health and lower perceived stress”. In Dilek Guven’s study (2013), it was
noted that routinely performed physical activity is important in protecting health and preventing
disease. Also, he stated “as their physical activity levels increased so did their satisfaction with
life” (Dilek Guven et al., 2013). In contrast, other studies “found that physical activity and self-
esteem were not able to moderate school-related stress” (Gerber & Puhse, 2008; Hubbs et al.,
2012).
The purpose of this study is to describe a proposed research project that would be
conducted to examine how academic workload and physical activity can affect the stress levels
of college students. To provide a context for this study, a review of some relevant research
studies on this topic is provided in the next section. These studies have been organized into two

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different categories. In the first section, the studies that examine the effect of academic stress and
academic workload on college students are presented. In the second section, the studies that
examine the effects of physical activity on stress and quality of life are presented.
The effects of academic stress and academic workload on college students
Welle, P. D., & Graf, H. M. (2011). Effective lifestyle habits and coping strategies for stress
tolerance among college students. American Journal of Health Education, 42(2), 96-105.
The study conducted by Welle and Graf (2011) was proposed to determine effectiveness
of lifestyle habits and coping strategies on stress tolerance among college students. This study, as
a whole, looks to determine: the prevalence of stressors in college, if any lifestyle factors/habits
are associated with high or low stress, and lastly, do these specific habits differ by gender and
race. No hypothesis was proposed prior to the study. In order to find participants for this study, a
randomized, clustering technique was used. This technique is said to be an effective method of
sampling a large population. Students were drawn from Healthful living classes, which are
general education requirements for students, so most of them take it their freshman year. This
was done on purpose to target a population that is still adapting to the ways of college living.
2,096 students were a part of Healthful Living classes and 541 of them were in attendance during
data collection. 470 surveys were returned but a total of 459 were usable, acceptable surveys for
the research study. These students consisted of: 216 males and 237 females; 332 white
participants, 96 black participants, and 26 were classified as other; and there were 347 freshmen,
78 sophomores, 24 juniors, and 8 seniors. The data collection procedures of this study consisted
of the use of a four survey packet that collected information regarding life events, daily hassles,
stress symptoms, and coping strategies. Data collection occurred in the fall semester, at the
beginning of the class period. The survey took roughly ten minutes for the students to complete.
The first instrument used in this study was the Life Event’s Checklist for Adolescents (LEC)

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which was a 37-item scale of “yes” or “no” questions regarding major past life events that are
common in many college students’ lives. The second instrument was the Daily Hassles
Questionnaire (DHQ). This questionnaire was very similar to that of above except that it
pertained to minor everyday occurrences rather than major life events. The third instrument used
was the stress symptom scale which contained 45 symptoms of stress and the participants were
to choose whether or not they have occurred in their lives recently. The fourth instrument used
was a questionnaire containing 20 factors that are beneficial ways to cope with stress and
students were to check if they have or have not used these methods of coping. On this same page,
demographic information such as, gender, race, age, and year in school were to be filled in.
Lastly, Cronbach’s reliability test was used to ensure that the questionnaires of the study were
reliable.
As a result of the study, we see that females scored higher than males on all four of the
questionnaires. Caucasians were below the average for stressors but above the average for stress
symptoms. African Americans had more stressors than average but less stress symptoms. The
“other” category for race had a lower Daily hassles average, a lower total stressor average, and a
high stress symptom average. As age increased, the amount of stressors decreased, implying that
the younger students are under more stress. Some typical college stressors that were reported
were: the pressure to do well in school, beginning college, and change in living condition. Also,
mostly all of the participants stated they had a change in their sleeping habits. The most highly
reported stress symptoms consisted of: general fatigue, inability to concentrate, and difficulty
falling asleep. Some of the main factors associated with high stress tolerance were control over
personal life and feeling well supported. One risk factor that was significantly associated with
low stress tolerance was the “avoiding problems using substance” risk factor. When comparing

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race, African Americans had only 4 efficient ways to cope with stress, while whites had 14 of the
16 coping strategies.
In discussion, Welle and Graf describe that in this research study many of the college
students exhibited similar stresses as one another, some of them pertaining to the abrupt, quick
change when transitioning to college and the rest pertaining to academic stressors of the students.
Within this research study, and past studies, it is found that college students as a whole are:
“overwhelmed,” “suffer emotional ups and downs,” “have difficulty sleeping,” and have
“feelings of anxieties.” Students who take better care of their physical health and have developed
strong social networks are said to have a higher stress tolerance. It is important that students hold
control over their academics and personal lives and take time off to enjoy leisure activities in
order to keep their stress levels down. Since differences were found in the coping strategies of
different groups of people, health education practices should no longer use a broad approach to
teaching about stress, rather they should start developing new methods to help different races and
genders learn to cope with stress. Future research should continue to examine the effects of
stressors and habits on college students to gain a better understanding of how to improve these
students’ stress levels and overall quality of life. Future research should also examine ways to
increase a student’s stress tolerance (their ability to handle stress). Lastly, a national guideline for
stress tolerance should be developed in order to gain more beneficial results regarding stress and
coping strategies.
Shaikh, B. T., Kahloon, A. A., Kazmi, M. M., Khalid, H. H., Nawaz, K. K., Khan, N. A., &
Khan, S. S. (2004). Students, stress and coping strategies: A case of Pakistani Medical
School. Education for Health, 17(3), 346-353.
The purpose of this study conducted by Shaikh and his colleagues (Shaikh, Kahloon,
Kazmi, Khalid, Khan, & Khan, 2004) was to measure the perceived stress levels and coping

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strategies of medical students in all five years of their education. A target population of 300
medical students was initially collected for the study but 264 students actually participated in the
study. 138 of these students were males, whereas the other 126 were females. The average age of
the participants was 21 years, while ages ranged from 17-25 years of age. Furthermore, 136 of
the students were day scholars (commute from home to school) and 128 were hostellites (stay in
hostels or on campus of the school). The participants were selected from a medical college in
Karachi. Demographic information regarding sex, residence, year of study, and status of
financial assistance was collected prior to the study. Prior to data collection, participants engaged
in a literature review to gain some background knowledge on the study. This was a cross
sectional study and the researchers developed their own questionnaire to measure and determine
college stressors. To ensure the questionnaire would function as a proper tool for data collection,
a pilot test was initiated towards a sample group of 20 students. The researchers then made any
necessary adjustments to the questionnaire and then administered the final survey. This data
collection took one week and it wasn’t stated at what time of the year this collection occurred.
Data was then entered into the SPSS 10 and Epi Calc 2000 and analyzed. The only instrument
used for this survey was the self-made questionnaire of the researchers regarding questions
relating to the stressors of a college student’s life.
In result, it is found that more than 90% of the students stated they have had an episode
of stress at least once while in college (94% of males and 91% of females). 93% of the day
scholars and 92% of the hostellites feel stressed in some way. Those who are on financial aid feel
more stressed than those who are not on financial aid. Females were said to experience more
fatigue, headaches, and short-temper than males and day scholars reported to be more fatigued
than hostellites. Students on financial aid reported that they have more frequent headaches than

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those students who are not on financial aid. The residence of the participants did not show any
significant difference in symptoms of stress. Out of the total participants, three-fourths of them
stated to be content with their coping methods. Males were more content than females with their
coping methods. Day scholars were more satisfied than hostellites when comparing their
satisfaction with coping methods. Many of the students stated that they like to talk to someone
when they are in a stress-filled scenario; males in particularly, took to this coping strategy more
often than females. Females tend to talk to a family member about their stress and problems
rather than a friend.
In discussion, Shaikh and his colleagues state that a large majority of college students are
stressed out and it has been known as a part of the college lifestyle, especially for those pursuing
higher forms of education. The most common symptoms of stress by the participants were noted
as: low mood, inability to concentrate, short temper, change in sleep patterns, loneliness, fatigue,
difficulty making decisions, and difficulty communication with others. Some other symptoms of
stress noted by the participants were: exams, academics, relationship problems, family problems,
and homesickness. One recommendation presented by Shaikh was that medical students should
have more leisure activities and recreational activities (sports, physical activity, socialization,
etc) added to their curriculum to help them cope with stress and give them a break off from the
intense studies involved in medical school. Also, the researchers recommended that functional
school advisors, peer education, and counseling be there to inform the students of coping
strategies and how to relax. In future research, there is a need for regular surveys to be used to
monitor the students’ health levels. Health education programs, counselor leadership, and
extracurricular activities are all important ways to help students cope with stress and the high
demands of college education.

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Kadapatti, M. G., & Vijayalaxmi, A. M. (2012). Stressors of academic stress- a study on pre-
university students. Indian Journal of Scientific Research, 3(1), 171-175.
In a 2012 study conducted by Kadapatti & Vijayalaxmi, the purpose was to identify
stressors that caused academic stress among pre-university students. This study will examine the
aspiration level, study habits and problems, and academic stress of these students and will also
look to understand how socio-economic variables, aspiration, study habit, and study problems
affect stress. No hypotheses were made prior to this study. Participants for this study were drawn
from four co-ed colleges of Dharward city. There were 360 pre-university course students (both
males and females) that studied Science, Arts, and Commerce. To collect this data, the
questionnaires were self administered to fifteen randomly selected students at a time from pre-
university courses of first and second year pertaining to Science, Art, and Commerce. These
students were randomly selected from a list of the students present on the day the researchers
visited. Additionally, 10-15 of these students were interviewed at their homes to further
breakdown and assess the material of the study. Instruments involved in this study were: the
stress event test which scored students on their levels of stress pertaining to certain events, the
socio-economic status scale which assesses the socio-economic status of the student, the
aspiration scale which assesses the students’ desire to achieve own expectation or society’s
expectation, the study habits schedule which used questions pertaining to five types of study
habits, and lastly, the study problems schedule was used to collect information regarding five
types of study problems exhibited in students.
By comparing the results of the completed questionnaires and assessments, it was found
that as aspiration levels increase, so does the academic stress level. It was also found that
students that showed better study habits had less academic stress in their lives while those who
exhibit poor study habits were more stressed out. Study problem data was positively and

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significantly correlated with academic stress, meaning that the more study problems prevalent,
the more stress they felt. Also, when looking at socio-economic and demographic factors
collected, it was found that academic stress was related to many of them. As family size
increases, the amount of stress decreased; therefore, family size was significantly related to
academic stress. Also, the type of family was significantly related to stress as well. Nuclear
families exhibited less stress on the student than joint families did.
In discussion, Kadapatti & Vijayalaxmi stated that high self expectation is one of the
most common causes of academic stress among students. When considering high stress levels in
students, it was determined that the desire to get more marks, high expectations for the future,
and the drive to satisfy parent’s expectations were stressors that were considered in causing
academic stress. Also, students with more study problems could potentially have issues in terms
of coping with their problems which could result in higher stress levels. Academic stress is
influenced by high aspiration, poor study habits, study problems, and low social status. To help
correct these stress levels in students, assistance from a counselor during class schedule is
recommended. Parents should allow their children to pick the courses they want and allow them
to decide what they want to do themselves. Also, the family environment needs to help make the
learning process pleasurable rather than stressful. Overall, students need a supportive and
stimulating atmosphere in order for them to succeed in their college studies.
Kausar, R. (2010). Perceived stress, academic workloads, and use of coping strategies by
university students. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 20(1), 31-45.
This study conducted by Rukhsana Kausar in 2010 intended to relate perceived stress,
academic workloads, and coping strategies used by students who are currently engaged in a
semester-based education. Kausar hypothesized that a positive relationship between academic
workload and perceived stress exists among students. He also hypothesized that academic stress

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perceptions can be predicted by academic workloads. The participants in this study were
acquired from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. 150 masters’ level students, 65
males and 35 females, which studied in the science department, were selected for this study. Data
collection consisted of three parts for this studied. First, the perceived stress scale was used to
acquire how much stress the students’ experience. Secondly, a coping strategies questionnaire
(CSQ), created by Kausar, was used to measure and understand how student’s cope with stress.
This questionnaire specifically viewed four types of coping strategies: active-practical coping
(proactive responses to stress), active-distractive coping (engaging in sports or an activity that
will distract oneself from the task), avoidance coping (withdrawal behaviors, such as drug and
alcohol abuse), and religious coping (partaking in religious activities as a way to cope). A higher
score in these four areas shows higher use of that coping method. Third, academic workload was
measured by way of adding the amount of hours in class and the amount of study hours students
spend per week. Lastly, a demographics questionnaire was completed by the participants to
document the students’ age, department, family income, and the number of siblings of each
student. The data collection process was administered during class time by designated teachers
that were chosen prior to the conduction of this study. The researchers were also present during
the data collection process. In total, it took the students about a half an hour to complete the
surveys and questionnaires. Instruments used in the study were: Cohen Perceived Stress Scale,
CSQ (coping strategies questionnaire), and a demographics questionnaire. Academic workload
was recorded also but no instrument was used to collect this data, rather the class hours and study
hours were added up.
As a result of this study, active practical coping was found to be the most prominently
used, while avoidance focused coping, religious coping, and active distractive coping followed in

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this order. A positive relationship was found between academic workload and perceived stress. A
positive relationship was also found between academic workloads with practical coping
strategies; however, negative relationships were found between academic workloads and both
active distractive coping and avoidance coping. The perceived stress level had a negative
relationship with both practical coping and avoidance coping. Academic workload was said to be
able to predict students’ perceived academic stress, while time spent at home, in labs, in project,
and doing other academic activities were also considered to be predictors of students’ perceived
stress.
In discussion, Kausar mentions that all of the components regarding academic workload
were considered significant predictors of stress among college students. The more time spent
regarding academic activities, the more stress students felt. Findings from this research are
similar to past studies in the sense that there was a positive relationship between academic
workload and perceived stress. Students often reported that academic stress results from grade
competition, lack of time, and time management issues. Many past studies have encouraged the
idea that students need to adapt and develop more efficient methods of time management and
studying techniques to minimize the school-related stress in students. It was also found that
students with a higher workload used more practical methods to cope, while those with a light
workload seemed to use more active distractive and avoidance methods of coping. In future
research, it is important to continue the efforts made to understanding academic workload and its
relationship to stress. One suggestion made is that students on a semester based system should
utilize counseling services at universities to help them cope more effectively.

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The effects of physical activity on stress and quality of life among college students
VanKim, N. A., & Nelson, T.F. (2013). Vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived
stress, and socializing among college students. American Journal of Health Promotion,
28(1), 7-15.
The purpose of this study conducted by VanKim & Nelson (2013) was to examine
associations between vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived stress, and socializing
among 4- year colleges. The hypotheses of this study state that those who partake in the adequate
amounts of vigorous physical activity will have better mental health and lower perceived stress.
VanKim & Nelson also hypothesized that socializing will partially mediate the relationships
between vigorous physical activity and perceived stress. Lastly, they hypothesized that race and
sex will moderate the relationship of vigorous physical activity with mental health and with
perceived stress. Participants in this study were taken from the Harvard School of Public Health
Behaviors, which is a national sample consisting of undergrad students that attend 4-year
colleges in the United States. 94 schools participated in this study and each college submitted a
list of 750 randomly selected undergrad students who are enrolled full-time. A total of 14,804
undergraduate students were selected from these schools to participate in the study. 5,427 of
these student participants were males while 9,279 of them were females. The age range of the
participants was anywhere from 18 years of age to 24 and up. Participants ranged from freshman
class status to fifth year class status, and all of those between. A variety of races/ethnicities
participated in this study. The procedures in this study were conducted all throughout the United
States and these participants completed the study alone. To collect information regarding the
vigorous physical activity portion of the study, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used. This
survey consisted of questions regarding how often the students engaged in vigorous activity. The
mental health of these students was assessed by giving the students a five-item mental health

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scale from the Short-Form 36 health scale. Next, students were to complete a shortened version
of the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). This consisted of questions regarding the students’
emotions and stress, how they handled them, etc. Students were given another form where they
were given options regarding their sex, age, race, year in school, body mass index (BMI), and
parental educational attainment. Two questions were asked to attain information regarding
socializing. The first question asked how many close friends they had and they were to mark if
they had fewer than 5 or more than 5 close friends. Second, they were asked if they spent more
or less than 2 hours per day socializing. The instruments used in this study were: the Youth Risk
Behavior Survey, a five-item mental health scale formed from the Short-Form 36 health scale, a
shortened version of the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, two questions regarding socializing
among students were used to gain an understanding of the students’ social lives, and lastly, a
demographic questionnaire was used.
The results of this study show us that the students who met vigorous physical activity
recommendations were less likely to associate with poor mental health and perceived stress than
those who were unable to meet the recommendations. A majority of the participants in this study
were white females, between 18-20 years of age, had a normal weight, and reported good mental
health and low stress. Females were less likely to meet the vigorous physical activity
recommendations than men and were more likely to report poor mental health and perceived
stress than men. Socializing and meeting the vigorous physical activity were significantly
associated with one another which concludes that students who classified under the low
socializing group had lower chances of performing the adequate amount of vigorous physical
activity, had higher odds of poor mental health and perceived stress among males and females.
Female students, Asian students, and students with class II obesity had much higher chances of

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poor mental health and perceived stress than students who were male, white, and normal weight.
Overweight participants had a significantly higher chance of perceived stress. No significance
existed between the sex and race of these individuals and their vigorous physical activity levels,
perceived stress, and mental health levels. Poor health and perceived stress were highly
correlated.
In discussion, VanKim and Nelson state that there is an association between vigorous
physical activity and both mental health and perceived stress. Physical activity levels often
decrease among the college population and evidence from this study, along with many other
studies, should be used to help promote higher physical activity levels among college students. If
colleges could create an environment which promotes healthy living and the importance of
physical activity, then the odds that students will engage in regular physical activity are likely to
go up. Interventions could be used in the future to help promote the idea that physical activity is
beneficial to our mental health and could be used to as an effective method of stress
management. Longitudinal data is needed in order to be able to more accurately assess the
impact that physical activity has on mental health and perceived stress. In future research, more
accurate measures should be used to collect the information regarding physical activity, mental
health, perceived stress, and socializing. Also, future studies should aim to develop or improve
upon interventions that will promote physical activity and its benefits towards the college
population.
Ying, L., & Lindsey, B. J., (2013). An association between college students’ health promotion
practices and perceived stress. College Student Journal, 47(3), 437-446.
The study conducted by Ying & Lindsey (2013) has multiple purposes. The first purpose
was to develop a better understanding of the health promotion practices that college students

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partake in. The second purpose was to examine the relationship of stress and the practice of
various health behaviors. Overall, this study was aimed towards figuring out which health
practices would help students manage stress. No hypothesis was stated in this research study.
The participants of this study were drawn from a Pacific Northwest university that contains
approximately 12,000 students. 407 students initially participated in the study, while 319
students completed and returned the survey. These students were undergraduate students and
were chosen from required general education courses. 123 of the student participants were males
and 187 of them were females. The class level of these students ranged from freshman class to
senior class. Almost half of the students claimed to be in excellent or very good health, 40% of
them considered their health to be good and a mere 10% of the participants claimed to be in fair
or poor health. After all the proper consent forms and approvals were granted, students were
given a paper-pencil survey in their general education courses. The survey took the students
approximately 30 minutes to complete. This data collection occurred in the middle of October, in
2008. One instrument used in this study was the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II)
questionnaire, which is a questionnaire consisting of 52 items measuring six areas of health
promotion practices. These six areas of practices were: health responsibility, physical activity,
nutrition, interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and stress management. A second instrument
that was used in this study was the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which consists of 14
items regarding how much these participants feel their lives are uncontrollable, unpredictable,
and overloaded. The questions regarding this are used to determine a perceived stress score. Both
of these instruments mentioned above have been known to exhibit validity and reliability, which
is why they were used for this study.

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The results show that the students’ scores on the overall HPLP II ranged from .58 to 2.81
and a mean score of 1.63. The scoring in this questionnaire ranged from 0-3, low scores meaning
fewer practices were engaged in by students and higher scores meaning the student engaged in
more of the health promotion practices. In the health responsibility section, less than 15% of
students were said to engage in these practices. In the physical activity section, more than 60% of
the students reported getting exercise during daily activities, 43.5% of females and 51.7% of
males performed light-to-moderate physical activity five times or more a week, and 42.6% of
females and 51.3% of males performed vigorously for 20 minutes or more at least three times a
week. Male students engaged more frequently in recreational physical activities. Less than half
of the students engaged in the nine nutrition practices, while males generally participated more
frequently in these practices than females. About half of the students believed their lives have
purpose and were aware of what was important in their life. This was found from the results of
the spiritual growth section. In the interpersonal relations portion, female students were said to
have participated in more of these practices than males. Males were better at managing their
stress levels than females and were more likely to take time for relaxation each day. About 30%
of students exhibited low stress, 67% exhibited moderate stress, and 2.2% of these participants
exhibited high stress. When comparing the HPLP II and PSS, it was found that lower stress
students were more likely than those of higher stress to partake in these health promotion
practices.
In discussion, when comparing this study to past studies, the students did not seem to be
overly stressed as otherwise indicated. The survey was given in mid-October (before any mid-
terms) so this could explain why the students didn’t score as high on the stress scale. Also,
students in this study engaged more regularly in health promotion practices than in past studies.

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Students scored lowest on the health responsibility section, meaning students do not do a good
job of checking themselves for unusual signs of danger or illness. Female students were less
likely to engage in all of the practices when compared with men, except for interpersonal
relations. Students with lower stress were more likely to partake in health promotion practices
than students with high stress. It was also found that practicing positive thinking can help to
reduce stress levels. In future research, it should be taken into account that there is a gender
difference in stress level and participation in these health promotion practices. Future
intervention programs should take this into account. For maximum benefits, educators should
explain the importance of continued or routine implementation of these health promotion
practices in their daily lives. Lastly, the fact that the “health responsibility” section is so low in
college students shows a weak area we should look to reinforce in future studies.
Dilek Guven, S., Ozcan, A., Tasgin, O., & Arslan, F. (2013). The relationship between health
college students’ physical activity status and life satisfaction. International Journal of
Academic Research, 5(4), 327-331.
This study was conducted by Dilek Guven and his fellow colleagues (Dilek Guven,
Ozcan, Tasgin, & Arslan, 2013) in order to determine the relationship between college students’
physical activity level and life satisfaction. Initially, there were said to be 293 students from
Nevsehir University Health College participating in the study, but once some cuts were made,
the study ended up using 225 of these students. These were the students who were not absent for
any research days and accepted to be a part of the study. Of the 225 students, 164 of them are
female and 61 of them are male, and the mean age of the group is just about 21 years of age.
Also, 33.8% of these participants were classified as freshman or first year students. Some other
interesting facts about the participants include that 56.4% of them have normal BMI (body mass
index) and an alarming 57% of these student participants do not exercise. This study did not

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contain any hypotheses (educated guesses) to what they think will happen in this study. To begin
the study, participants were to complete a short form of the self-administered International
Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), which gives information regarding the physical activity
levels of each participant. To insure that these questionnaires were completed in complete
honesty, reliability and validity tests were carried out. The IPAQ has guidelines in that the
physical activity should only count and be calculated with the IPAQ scores if the duration of the
activity is more than 10 minutes. The questionnaire asks for data (over the past 7 days) regarding
the duration of: vigorous physical activities, moderate physical activities, and walking/average
sitting. These durations were then calculated into the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) by
using pre-conceived formulas. This MET unit basically is a measure expressing the energy cost
of physical activities and the rate of energy consumption during physical activity. The unit of this
rate is noted as MET-minute/week. The participants scored either a low score (less than 600
MET-minute/week), moderate score (600-3000 MET-minute/week), or high score (3000+ Met-
minute/week). Next, the participants were to complete The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).
In 1985, Diener et al. developed this scale in order to determine the students’ satisfaction with
life. Members of the study were asked to answer items with the ratings of 1-strongly disagree,
through 7-strongly agree, whereas the numbers in between are a lesser extreme of these two
ratings. The higher the participant scored on this scale, the higher level of satisfaction they have
in their lives. The data collection took place at the Nevsehir University Health College but the
article does not state exactly when the research was conducted. The instruments used to complete
this research were: the IPAQ (a questionnaire to determine physical activities levels in the
participants), the MET calculations, and the SWLS (A life satisfaction scale to determine the
participants’ level of satisfaction with life).

20. 20
In this research article, Dilek Guven and his colleagues found that as the level of physical
activity increases, so does the satisfaction of life in these individuals; however, there was no
significant statistical correlation between the average scores collected from the SWLS
(Satisfaction with Life Scale) and the physical activity levels recorded. The results of the study
show that more than half of the student participants had a normal body mass index (BMI) but
almost 60% of them did not do exercises at all. In the findings, we see that 44.9% of the
participants are classified as having a medium level of physical activity, 30.2% are classified as
having a low level of physical activity, and lastly, 24.9% are classified as having a high physical
activity level. The results of this study show that the individuals who have a higher level of
physical activity, also will have a greater satisfaction with their lives.
In discussion, Dilek Guvin et al. (2013) states that physical activity is extremely
important in protecting the health of us human beings. It is stated that if we participate in
moderate physical activity for 5 days of the week, we decrease our risk of cardiovascular disease
by 30%. Physical activity is commonly used as a medicine to treat many diseases in our society
today; for example, type II diabetes can be prevented or in some cases reversed by exercising
and dieting properly. The best time to introduce a physical activity routine is during childhood
and young adulthood because this way they can learn to develop dieting and exercising habits at
a younger age and carry those habits with them throughout their lifetime. As seen in the study,
30.2% of the participants were classified as having low physical activity levels. This shows us
that many college kids are developing bad habits and not exercising at all which may lead to a
plethora of diseases and illnesses, if they do not drastically change their actions and adopt a
physical activity routine. The satisfaction with life idea is described as people’s positive
evaluation about their life, based on their own criteria. As you can tell, many factors go into each

21. 21
individual person’s satisfaction with life criteria and not everyone’s perception of their
satisfaction will be derived from the same factors. Based on a variety of studies, physical activity
is considered to: make one feel good or experience positive feelings, create a positive self image,
improve quality of life, and overall, promote well-being. Similarly, in Dilek Guvin’s study, it
was found that as physical activity levels increase so did the satisfaction with life of the
participants; however, there was no statistically significant correlation between the mean scores
of the physical activity levels and the satisfaction with life scale scores. In future research,
interventions should be used to determine if they can help increase people’s physical activity
levels and therefore, increase their satisfaction with their lives.
Hubbs, A., Doyle, E. I., Bowden, R. G., & Doyle, R. D. (2012). Relationships among self-
esteem, stress, and physical activity in college students. Psychological Reports, 110(2),
469-474.
In Hubbs’ study (Hubbs, Doyle, Bowden, & Doyle, 2012), the purpose was to identify
population and sex-specific relationships between perceived stress, self-esteem, and physical
activity in college students. The ultimate purpose of this study is to measure stress, self-esteem,
and physical activity among college students (male and female) and then identify and compare
population and sex-specific relationships within these variables. The participants in this study
attended classes at a southern university in the U.S. and were taken from five different course
sections of the Department of Health and Human Behavior. 90 students from this school were
contacted to take part in the study, with 74 of them agreeing to be a part of the research study.
An announcement flyer and verbal invitation during the second class meeting were the methods
used to invite these students. Both the university and the participants signed consent forms in
order to grant approval for the study to be completed. The participants consisted of both males
(n=36) and females (n=38), which accounts for the total of 74 participants. The participants

22. 22
ranged from 18 to 27 years of age, while the average age was 20.2 years old. To begin the study,
the participants in each of the five sections were given three surveys to complete. These
surveyswere administered during one of their regular class meeting times, and were completed
over a two-day period. The three surveys the participants completed were: the IPAQ (short form-
International Physical Activity Questionnaire), the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Rosenberg
Self-Esteem Scale. The Perceived Stress Scale is a ten question form about personal stressors in
which participants answer with anything between a 0-4, zero meaning “never” and four meaning
“very often”. The participants total scores are then added up and can be anywhere from 0-40. A
higher score is correlated with a higher perceived stress, whereas a lower score is correlated with
lower perceived stress. The IPAQ is a questionnaire where participants assess their own physical
activity levels based on their answers to the questions provided. The IPAQ uses a metabolic
equivalent (MET) formula for each type of physical activity (vigorous, moderate, or walking)
and by using the MET values and the data collected from the IPAQ, the research team is able to
record a total physical activity score for the participants. The higher physical activity score
indicates a higher self-reported physical activity. Lastly, student participants were to use the
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in order to determine their scores on self-esteem. Possible scores
range from 10-40, and the higher score correlates with a higher self-esteem. After all of this data
is acquired, the group averages and standard deviations for total scores on all of the scales were
calculated for each individual participant and sex. This data collection occurred in a southern
university located in the U.S. The article doesn’t state when exactly these surveys and data
collection were conducted. The instruments involved in this study were: the IPAQ, the Perceived
Stress Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. These instruments were used to collect data
on the students’ physical activity levels, their perceived stress levels, and their self-esteem levels.

23. 23
The results of this study show us that men scored a higher average physical activity level
and a slightly lower stress score than women; however, the women had a slightly higher self-
esteem than men. The results also show that no significant correlations can be formed between
physical activity and perceived stress or self-esteem. Self-esteem and perceived stress were
significantly correlated however and this correlation was a negative one. In both males and
females, it was found that when these individuals have a high stress level, they have a lower self-
esteem. This study did not find any correlation between physical activity and the total stress or
self-esteem of the group.
In discussion, Hubb’s and his colleagues compare their results to that of other studies and
find that college populations have increased perceived stress, and as this stress rises, self-esteem
falls. A few ways that students can cope with stress and improve self-esteem is by building
friendships because friend’s support and encouragement can help to decrease stress and increase
self-esteem. Over multiple studies, there were negative correlations between stress and self-
esteem in men and women, meaning that higher stress levels are associated with lower self-
esteem. Based on their study, no significant correlation exists between exercise and self-esteem
or stress. In contrast, a past study found that a lack of exercise was correlated with a lower self-
esteem. One reason Hubb’s study didn’t find this correlation could be that these specific
participants were pretty active prior to the study. In the future, more research needs to be done on
these findings in order for them to be used by colleges in forms of interventions and health
groups informing students of ways to decrease their stress levels and improve their self-esteem.
One suggested method by Hubb’s is to integrate these topics into a single intervention.

24. 24
Rational and overview of proposed study
In the first section of studies listed above, the effects of academic stress and academic
workload on college students are discussed and studied. In these studies, it is found that
academic stress and stress as a whole, is common among college students. Typically, students
exhibited similar stress levels to one another and many of them were stressed out over the same
areas of focus. For example, many of the participants in the Welle and Graf (2011) study, stated
that they were overwhelmed, suffer many emotion ups and downs, had difficulty sleeping, and
had feelings of anxiety. Students in their first year of college are much more likely to report
stress due to the transition from high school to college, while those who are older blame most of
their stress on academics. Through these studies, it was found that students exhibited differences
in ways they interpret stress and cope with this stress. In Shaikh et al., 2004, it was reported that
90% of the student participants stated that they have had an episode of stress at least once or
more while in college. Some of the most common forms of stress in college students throughout
all four of the studies were: low mood, high expectation of oneself, high expectations of parents,
inability to concentrate, short-temper, trouble sleeping, fatigue, exams, lack of time to complete
all of their required academic and social demands, etc. Kadapatti and Vijayalaxmi (2012)
determined that academic stress is influenced by high aspirations, poor study habits, study
problems, and low socio-economic status. Lastly, academic workload (amount of hours spent on
academics in and out of class) and perceived stress were compared to one another and it was
determined that all components of academic workload were considered significant predictors of
stress among college students (Kausar, 2010). Overall, stress is becoming a big issue among
college students

25. 25
In the second set of studies listed above, the effects of physical activity on stress and on
quality of life among college students were discussed. When distinguishing between male and
female college students, males were found to partake in more regular physical activity and
recreational activities. Students who participated in more health promotion practices (exercise,
diet, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, were found to have lower stress levels (Ying &
Lindsey, 2013). It is important to note that some of these studies conflicted with each other. For
example, physical activity and self-esteem were not able to moderate school-related stress in
Hubbs et al., 2012. While in Vankim and Nelson’s study (2013), it was found that “vigorous
physical activity is positively associated with better mental health and lower perceived stress”
(p.14). In Dilek Guven et al., (2013) a correlation was found between physical activity and life
satisfaction. As physical activity increased, so did the satisfaction the participants felt about their
lives. Physical activity is an important piece in maintain good health and preventing chronic
illnesses, which leads to the idea that higher physical activity, in some cases, could be associated
with lower levels of stress.
One major gap that exists in the studies regarding academic stress and physical activity is
the idea that interventions need to be created to help promote physical activity throughout
colleges. As of right now, interventions exist but they are not doing the job. Research taken from
the studies above should be taken into account and utilized within health promotion practices and
college interventions regarding stress and physical activity. Overall, an effective way of
promoting physical activity and health promotion towards college students needs to be
discovered.
Another gap involved in these studies is the idea that physical activity, academic
workload, and stress need to have further research done by relating them to each other and

26. 26
determining if physical activity is truly an effective method to alleviate stress, while relating
students’ perceived stress with the amount of academic workload they are given. In the past,
research studies involving questionnaires found conflicting views on whether or not physical
activity is a moderator of school-related stress; this is the basis to my research proposal.
The purpose of my research proposal is to determine whether or not physical activity can
help to alleviate stress, and to examine how academic workload and perceived stress relate with
one another. A hypothesis was developed for my study stating that physical activity and
perceived stress will have a significant, negative correlation. As physical activity increases,
stress will decrease. A second hypothesis states that academic workload and perceived stress will
have a positive correlation with one another.
Methods
Study Participants:
The participants of this study will be drawn from the Kinesiology Department at Miami
University of Ohio. 30 participants will be split into two separate groups of 15 students. The
target age group of this study ranges from 18-22 (freshman to senior standing); however,
exceptions can be made for fifth year or graduate students that would like to participate. Students
of all genders, races, and ethnicities are welcome to participate. Students will be notified about
this research study in their Kinesiology classes and must sign up and have their consent forms
completed a month ahead of time. The reason for this is that the study will take place over four
semesters and students will be given 12 credit hours for the study (as long as Miami University
gives an approval). Since the participants would be receiving credit hours towards their
Kinesiology majors/ research requirement, no gifts or incentives will be given.

27. 27
Study Design:
This study will be considered a longitudinal, experimental study. Once the participants
are determined, the students will be randomly placed into two groups of 15. These groups will be
classified as group A and group B. Each semester, manipulation of the studies variables will
occur to collect data regarding different academic workloads and exercise regimens. During the
first semester of the study, group A will be given an academic workload of 30 hours per week,
and they will not perform any exercise. Group B will be given an academic workload of 30 hours
per week as well, but will be performing vigorous exercise three times a week. During the
second semester of the study, group A will be given an academic workload of 30 hours per week
again, but this time they will also perform vigorous exercise three times a week. Group B will be
given the same 30 hour workload but no exercise this time. During the third semester, both
groups will be given an academic workload of 15 hours per week. Group A will not perform any
exercise this semester. Group B will have to perform vigorous exercise, three times a week.
During the final semester, both groups will be given an academic workload of 15 hours per
week. Group A will perform vigorous exercise three times a week while group B will not have to
perform any exercise. Participants must keep a folder of their training logs and their perceived
stress will be recorded every Friday and kept in a folder also. Exercise will take place in the
Phillips Hall gym during class periods. It does not matter what type of exercise these participants
do, as long as their working at a vigorous level. The students who are not exercising that
semester are given the choice to work on homework or head home.

28. 28
Data Collection Procedures:
To collect data for this study, Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale will be used. Friday of
every week, students will be administered the perceived stress scale test during class, in order to
keep a record of their stress scores on a weekly basis. This test should take about 10 to 15
minutes to complete. Students will each have their own folder to keep their training logs and
their perceived stress scores. This is a four semester study so data collection will happen
throughout. Academic workload is a controlled variable in this study and is quantified by the
number of total hours per week students spend on academics, both inside and out of class. Since
workload is controlled, no data collection is necessary for this portion of the study.
Instrumentation:
Only one significant instrument will be used in this study and that is the Perceived Stress
Scale (PSS). This scale is a questionnaire consisting of questions regarding how often and of
what type of stress occurs within these students’ lives. They will be asked to mark a 0 (strongly
disagree) through a 5 (strongly agree). Other instruments used will be: the gym equipment and
the training logs.

29. 29
Reference List
Dilek Guven, S., Ozcan, A., Tasgin, O., & Arslan, F. (2013). The relationship between health
college students’ physical activity status and life satisfaction. International Journal of
Academic Research, 5(4), 327-331.
Gerber, M., & Pühse, U. (2008) “Don’t crack under pressure”: do leisure time physical
activity and self-esteem moderate the relationship between school-based stress
and psychosomatic complaints? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65(4), 363-369
Grace TW. Health problems of college students. American College Health.45: 243-250.
Hubbs, A., Doyle, E. I., Bowden, R. G., & Doyle, R. D. (2012). Relationships among self-
esteem, stress, and physical activity in college students. Psychological Reports, 110(2),
469-474.
Kadapatti, M. G., & Vijayalaxmi, A. M. (2012). Stressors of academic stress- a study on pre-
university students. Indian Journal of Scientific Research, 3(1), 171-175.
Kausar, R. (2010). Perceived stress, academic workloads, and use of coping strategies by
university students. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 20(1), 31-45.
Pascarella, E.T., & Terenzini, P.T. (1991). How college affects students. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
Robotham, D. (2008). Stress among higher education students: towards a research agenda.
Higher Education, 56, 735-746.
Shaikh, B. T., Kahloon, A. A., Kazmi, M. M., Khalid, H. H., Nawaz, K. K., Khan, N. A., &
Khan, S. S. (2004). Students, stress and coping strategies: A case of Pakistani Medical
School. Education for Health, 17(3), 346-353.
Stress. 2014. in Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress
VanKim, N. A., & Nelson, T.F. (2013). Vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived
stress, and socializing among college students. American Journal of Health Promotion,
28(1), 7-15.
Welle, P. D., & Graf, H. M. (2011). Effective lifestyle habits and coping strategies for stress
tolerance among college students. American Journal of Health Education, 42(2), 96-105.
Ying, L., & Lindsey, B. J., (2013). An association between college students’ health promotion
practices and perceived stress. College Student Journal, 47(3), 437-446