Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between physical activity levels and healthy life-style behaviors in distance education students in Hoca Ahmet Yesevi University. In total, 526 distance education students in Hoca Ahmet Yesevi University participated in this study voluntarily. The short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered for the determination of physical activity level of distance education students. Their physical activity levels were categorized as inactive, minimally active, and physically active by using Metabolic Equivalent Term method. For the determination of healthy life-style behaviors, Health-promoting Life-style Profile Questionnaire was used with self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, nutrition, interpersonal support, and stress management subscales. Results of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation analyses indicated significant positive correlations between total physical activity level and exercise (r=0.23; p<0.05) and healthy life-style behaviors (r=0.30; p<0.01) among the study subjects. There was no significant correlation between healthy life-style behaviors and sport index of physical activity questionnaire (p>0.05). The findings of the present study indicated that healthy life-style behaviors were not indicators of physical activity level of distance education students.

Key words: Distance education students, health-promoting life-style, physical activity.