Factors associated with the perception of major barriers to leisure physical activity among university from an institution in Minas Gerais

Barriers to physical activity (PA) refer to subjective difficulties that may prevent or discourage the adoption of this behavior. The objective was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with perceived barriers to leisure-time PA among undergraduate students at a university in the state of Minas Gerais. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 994 participants. The dependent variable was barriers to leisure-time PA. The independent variables considered sociodemographic, university affiliation, biological, behavioral, and perceptive characteristics. The association estimate was performed by calculating the Odds Ratio (OR). The level of statistical significance was set at 5% (p<0.05). The barrier related to personal aspects was the most frequent, with a prevalence of 48%. There was a lower chance of perceiving resource/opportunity barriers among men, and among those with adequate sleep, there was a lower chance of perceiving personal and situational barriers. Undergraduates with a positive perception of health and stress were less likely to perceive barriers. Considering personal factors in intervention strategies may be essential to minimize barriers to leisure-time PA among university students.