Lucas D. Elliott

Pennsylvania State University | Penn State · Department of Kinesiology

Purpose: Universities and colleges play a major role in facilitating the behaviors of students into adulthood. Active travel (AT; walking or bicycling for transportation) can provide substantial health benefits, though inequities among bicycling are shown in many underserved populations (racial/ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+, disabled, low-income...

Psychological stress is a major concern in college students and can lead to negative mental and physical health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased psychological stress. Using exercise as a stress management technique has been shown to have a large effect in preventing and treating psychological stress. This study attempts to understand t...

Background: Investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both physical activity (PA) and mental health is important to demonstrate the need for interventions. This study examined the apparent impact of the pandemic on college students' PA, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Methods: From 2015 through 2020, data were collected at...

Background Active travel (AT), that is walking or biking for transport, is one way in which individuals can accumulate physical activity to benefit their physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of AT to physical activity among college students. Methods Data were collected from students enrolled in gene...

The purpose of this study was to examine the physical activity behaviors and campus recreation use of students enrolled in a summer transition (high school to university) program. The physical activity behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics of summer transition program students from a large Northeastern United States university were collec...

Active transportation (AT), walking/bicycling for transportation, in school-aged children (K-12) provides a variety of health benefits for those who participate. One state-funded initiative which attempts to increase AT among schoolchildren are Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. These programs implement education and encouragement projects, as...

Purpose Regular participation in bicycling offers many health benefits. Universities throughout the U.S. have a large proportion of underrepresented populations among students/employees (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, disabled) who participate in cycling at lower rates. The purpose of this study was to understand the current practices of u...

Occupational physical activity (OPA) is related to positive health outcomes and meeting overall physical activity recommendations. OPA participation typically varies across racial/ethnic groups and by gender, though little research has examined differences in OPA among college students. A cross-sectional, online survey of college students examined...

Non-heterosexual women tend to report lower physical activity and poorer mental health than their heterosexual counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in mental health (stress and depression) and physical activity among female college students by sexual orientation. Students self-reported socio-demographic characteristics...

Overview: Active transportation (AT), commonly seen as walking and bicycling, has positive physical and mental health benefits for all who participate. Although participation in AT has health benefits, there are disparities based on various demographics (race/ethnicity, gender identity, age, education/income). The purpose of this study was to attem...

Objective: Disparities in physical activity (PA) and PA antecedents, such as exercise self-efficacy, based on the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity among college students are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine differences in PA and exercise self-efficacy based on the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity. Methods: An onli...

Travel by walking or bicycling has a wide range of health benefits, from lowering the risk of obesity to all-cause mortality. Although the benefits of bicycling are well-known, there are various disparities and inequities seen in participation levels and safety in underserved and underrepresented communities (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, women,...

A lack of physical activity (PA) contributes to poor health. Active travel (AT) can help to achieve recommended levels of PA, though participation varies across racial/ethnic groups. Aim This study examined differences in AT trips by race/ethnicity and the relationship between meeting PA recommendations with AT among college students. Subjects Co...

Overview Active travel, walking and bicycling for transportation, has been shown to provide positive health benefits to those who participate. Despite these known benefits, there are many inequities seen throughout the U.S. which create decreased participation in disadvantaged populations. Complete Streets initiatives attempt to create useable stre...

The prevalence of depression and insufficient physical activity (PA) continue to rise in the United States, particularly among college students. PA is typically associated with decreased levels of depressive symptoms; however, the association between different intensities of PA and depressive symptoms is unclear among college students. The aim of t...

Purpose: Bicycling as a form of active travel (AT) can provide substantial health benefits for all populations, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Despite these known benefits, disparities and inequities in bicycling are still shown in many underserved community populations. Community bicycle coalitions and advocacy o...

Objective: To review the physical activity promotion efforts of Power 5 conference institutions' summer transition programs. Methods: The websites of Power 5 Conference and affiliate member institutions (N = 78) were systematically reviewed and information on summer transition programs pertaining to health were extracted. Results: Most (n = 45, 57....

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created significant disruptions for college students, impacting health and physical activity (PA). Changes to the PA environment presented many challenges for students. Purpose: To examine the influence of the physical and social environment on PA participation for college students during the onset of COVID-19 res...

PURPOSE: Psychological stress is a major concern in college students, which can lead to negative health consequences, such as depression. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased psychological stress throughout the United States population, especially affecting the college student population. Stress management techniques differ between individuals but p...

Cycling offers many health-related, environmental, and economic benefits, though rates of participation are low among ethnic minorities. Studying individuals who have successfully adopted the behaviour can provide insight on addressing factors that could influence participation in the activity. This qualitative study aimed to examine experiences an...

When put in a situation to get to higher/lower floors of a building, there are many factors that go into play for whether an individual chooses to take the stairs (active) or ride the elevator (sedentary). Students were approached at waiting area for the four elevators in a University Library and were asked series of questions regarding their reaso...

This study analyzed data from Penn State students to determine their activity levels relative to living environment. Comparing students living more than 15 minutes from campus with better amenities for physical activity and those living less than 15 minutes from campus; we discovered trends in physical activity among the populations. Although stude...