Domain matters: An examination of college student physical activity participation patterns by gender and race/ethnicity

Background: Physical activity (PA) consists of multiple domains, including leisure-time PA (LTPA), occupational PA (OPA), and transportation PA (TPA), though limited research has examined these domains among college students. Methods: This cross sectional, online survey asked undergraduate students to self-report demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, employment) and PA (LTPA, TPA, and OPA). Participants were categorized as meeting/not meeting current aerobic PA recommendations with only LTPA and with all domains of PA. Analyses examined differences by domain and demographics. Results: For participants (n = 3732) when only considering LTPA, 79% met recommendations, while considering all forms of PA resulted in 94% of students meeting recommendations. Gender and race/ethnicity differences in the odds of meeting PA recommendations were present with only LTPA, however when considering all PA domains, some disparities were no longer present. Conclusions: These findings highlight how different domains of activity contribute to overall PA and the relationship with gender and race/ethnicity.