Barriers to Participating in Physical Activity among College Students: A Systematic Review

Objectives: Nearly 60% of college students do not meet physical activity guidelines, placing them at risk for poorer overall health and academic performance. Community college students represent a vulnerable segment of this population. Multiple studies have explored barriers to physical activity among college students, but most focused exclusively on students attending 4‐year institutions. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize current evidence on barriers to physical activity among 4‐year college students and barriers to physical activity among community college students. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a database search was conducted with clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following rigorous screening, findings from 21 articles were captured and synthesized. Guided by the socioecological model, barriers to physical activity were categorized as individual, interpersonal, institutional/policy-level, community, cultural/religious, and environmental. Results: For college students, time was the main individual barrier, insufficient/inaccessible physical activity resources was the main institutional/policy-level barrier, and lack of social support was the main interpersonal barrier. Community college students are not represented in current literature on this topic; few studies include students attending 4‐year US‐based institutions. Conclusion: These findings solidify a need for future research on barriers to physical activity among community college students and students attending 4‐year US‐based institutions.