"Raising the Bar(bell): A Gender Analysis of College Students’ Views, A" by Megan Goff
 

Raising the Bar(bell): A Gender Analysis of College Students’ Views, Attitudes, and Behaviors Surrounding Gym Participation

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Margarita Rayzberg

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Socioloogy

ORCID Identifier(s)

0009-0003-4781-2022

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-24-2025

Abstract

Though sociologists have extensively documented gender discrepancies in physical activity participation and attitudes among adults, differences by gender in gym-related activity among college students remains understudied. This study explores differences in behaviors, motivations, and barriers to gym attendance and participation among college students using quantitative survey analysis. Based on previous literature, this study expected to find that women have more negative experiences surrounding their participation than men. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous literature, I find few differences in behaviors between men and women. Some difference nevertheless persist, with men reporting higher levels of motivation to attend the gym and women reporting more barriers to attendance. These finding suggest that women still experience disadvantages related to their physical activity, though this study does not find as many disadvantages as previous studies.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Megan Goff is a current senior sociology major that is going to pursue her Ph.D. in sociology, focusing on social movements, after graduation.

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