TIME, FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF EXERCISE IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: CLUSTERS BASED ON BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the associations between clusters, based on basic psychological needs (BPN), and the time, frequency and duration of physical exercise in university students. A total of 311 university students participated, answering a questionnaire to verify BPN and reporting the time, duration and frequency of exercise. Cluster analysis was performed using the k-means method. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the variables. Three clusters were found: Cluster 1 (highest satisfaction); Cluster 2 (moderate satisfaction) and Cluster 3 (lowest satisfaction). Only university students in Cluster 3 were less likely to exercise for more than 12 months [OR = 0.15 (0.06; 0.36), p < 0.000] and to exercise more than three times a week [OR = 0.31 (0.12; 0.82), p = 0.017]. University students in Cluster 2 [OR = 0.48 (0.28; 0.83), p = 0.009] and Cluster 3 [OR = 0.22 (0.10; 0.48), p = 0.000] were less likely to exercise for more than 60 minutes compared to Cluster 1. In this sense, it is necessary to consider the satisfaction of BPN to ensure adherence to exercise and promote psychological well-being.