International research carried out at LSU revealed that young people are more willing to exercise in their free time
Children and young people’s health is one of the main priorities of the European Commission, which not only encourages people to lead healthy lives, but also seeks to become an active partner in the implementation of health improvement measures. To contribute to this aim, the researchers of Lithuanian Sports University developed a project "Analysis of Students' Physical Activity and Health Promotion in Higher Education Institutions: Students’ Needs, Possibilities of Higher Education Institutions, and Experience of Other Countries”, which received funding.
LSU researchers Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irena Valantinė, Dr. Vida Janina Česnaitienė and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arūnas Emeljanovas carried out a research on students’ needs and the possibilities of higher education institutions in the area of physical activity and health promotion. 500 Lithuanian students as well as 200 students from Poland, 200 from Croatia, 200 from Sweden and 200 from Belgium were surveyed.
Project organizers held an international seminar to introduce experience of students’ physical activity needs and health promotion possibilities in Lithuanian and foreign universities to Lithuanian and foreign university teachers and students as well the representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Physical Education and Sports and other organizations. Project partners from abroad – Prof. Dr. Marc Cloe (University of Liege, Belgium), Prof. Dr. Peter Sitar (University of Maribor, Slovenia), Dr. Sofia Brorrson (Dalarna University, Sweden), Dr. Zbigniew Ossovsky (Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Poland) and Lovro Stefan (University of Zagreb, Croatia) took part in the seminar. The guests presented their higher education institutions and health promotion possibilities in them. Assoc. Prof. Dr. A. Emeljanovas discussed the possibilities of health promotion in Lithuanian universities, and Dr. Vida Janina Česnaitienė delivered a presentation “Analysis of Students’ Needs for Physical Activity ".
Summarized results of the research revealed that students’ health literacy has no effect on physical activity and studies related to health and physical activity do not increase students' physical activity.
In order to increase students' overall physical activity, free time should be used. The research revealed that students have a wish for more modern physical activities during studies and knowledge about the benefits of physical activity. During the course of the investigation it became clear that universities have the conditions to increase students' physical activity, but young people are more willing to go in for sports in their free time.
According to the authors of the project, the results will help students to organize physical activity more effectively not only in their free time, but also during the studies. The project activities led to a full and close cooperation between universities and other relevant stakeholders. The findings of the research were presented in the international ENSSEE (European Network of Sports Science, Education and Employment) forum held on 9-11 September in Rome (Italy).
