Author(s): ALDARMAKI, S., ALMAZROUEI, A.M.1, ALKINDI, A.1, IHSAN, M.2, FIGUEIREDO, P.2, MARQUES, E.A.1, Institution: UNIVERSITY OF KALBA, Country: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Abstract-ID: 1244

IINTRODUCTION
Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a major modifiable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, and national and WHO guidelines specify minimum weekly activity for adults. University students are a key population for prevention, yet international studies suggest poor awareness of these recommendations (1). In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), universities are expanding Sport Science and related programmes, creating an opportunity to embed guideline-focused education in the curriculum. This study assessed knowledge of adult PA guidelines among UAE university students and compared Sport Science and non–Sport Science majors.​
METHODS
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among undergraduate students from two UAE universities in January 2026. Eligible students were ≥18 years and enrolled in Sport Science/Physical Education or other majors. The questionnaire collected demographics, self-reported physical activity, and awareness and knowledge of moderate- and vigorous-intensity minutes/week of aerobic PA and days/week of muscle-strengthening recommendations. Associations were determined using chi-square tests, and odds ratios were estimated using logistic regression (α = 0.05). All statistical analyses were conducted using JASP (Version 0.95.4, JASP Team, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
RESULTS
Of 285 respondents (mean age 21.7 ± 5.1 years, 55.5% female), 27% were Sport Science majors. Overall, 41% reported awareness of adult physical activity guidelines. Among those aware, accuracy varied: 42% correctly identified 150 min/week moderate-intensity aerobic PA, 31% the ≥75 min/week vigorous-intensity equivalent, and 71% correctly identified ≥2 days/week muscle-strengthening activities. Sport Science majors had twice the odds of reporting awareness of the guidelines than non-Sport Science majors (OR = 2.06, p = 0.008). No associations were found between PA guidelines awareness and gender (p= 0.24), BMI (p= 0.50), or self-reported PA guideline adherence (p= 0.52).
CONCLUSION
Knowledge of adult PA recommendations was suboptimal among UAE university students; however, among those who were aware, 71% correctly identified muscle-strengthening guidelines (≥2 days/week), the highest knowledge accuracy among the guidelines. Even Sport Science majors showed room for improvement. Enhancing explicit guidelines content in curricula and campus health promotion may help bridge the gap between recommended and perceived levels of PA.
(1) Werner E et al. J Am Coll Health 2022; (2) Adula K et al. J Sport Health Sci 2018