Barriers to physical exercise and a healthy diet for students of the University of Malta

Abstract

This study focused on the barriers of students of the University of Malta towards healthy eating and exercise. The main research question was which internal and external barriers hinder university students in Malta from living a healthy lifestyle with regards to diet and exercise. The study was aimed at finding these barriers to be able to reduce them in future health interventions. The methodology used to explore these barriers was content analysis with the use of an open-ended question survey. The results of this study presented a number of barriers towards healthy eating and exercise, with lack of time, lack of money and too much stress or university stress, being the most salient barriers. These results are similar to the results found in previous studies and give an indication that there need to be health interventions in Malta, that focus more on these problems. If we are able to reduce the main barriers, then we can bring changes to our society and help students adopt a healthier lifestyle that is preventive against illness.