Where’s the Joy in That? Sexual Minority College Students Report Lower Physical Activity Engagement and Enjoyment Compared to Heterosexual Students

Abstract

Sexual minority (e.g. non-heterosexual) individuals are at greater risk for negative health outcomes, often linked to inadequate physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to assess PA levels and PA enjoyment among college students, by sexual orientation. Data were collected from a volunteer sample of college students enrolled in general health and wellness courses offered at a large, Northeastern U.S. university via an online survey. Participants self-reported demographic information, PA levels using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and PA enjoyment using a 7-item Physical Activity Enjoyment scale (PACES). Among participants (n = 1471), independent sample t-tests showed that sexual minority (SM) students reported significantly lower mean MET-mins/week of MPA (MHeterosexual = 568.09 ± 488.12 vs. MSexual minority = 469.95 ± 471.51; p =.006) and VPA (MHeterosexual = 1089.54 ± 1110.64 vs. MSexual Minority = 628.93 ± 942.78; p