Pattern of physical exercise practice among university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (before beginning and during college): a cross-sectional study

Background Transition to college is characterized by change, ambiguity, and adjustment compared to the previous lifestyle before entering college. Our study aimed was to determine the pattern of students’ physical exercise practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the period before and during college attendance. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students from fifteen universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on August 2017. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire that was modified from questionnaires used in previous studies. Statistical analysis and data entry was performed with SPSS version 21. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at King Abdulaziz University. Results 417 college students completed the questionnaire and 77.2% were female. Slightly more than half of the participants (55.9%) were from King Abdulaziz University, and 59.7% were from healthcare specialties from different institutions. The mean age of the participants was 21.80 years old ( SD = 2.75). The pattern of practicing physical exercise showed a significant decrease after enrollment in college ( p = 0.000). The most common reason for not practicing exercise was time restrictions, accounting for 18.5% of all the reasons, while the most common reason for practicing exercise was to improve body shape, accounting for 48% of all the reasons. Conclusions Our research found that there was a significant decrease in doing regular exercise during one’s college years in comparison to the school years prior to college. To address the decrease in physical exercise, we recommend organizing and promoting more awareness campaigns and providing suitable sports facilities and infrastructure.