{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T18:47:43Z","timestamp":1789066063448,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779148800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Regular physical activity is essential for physical and mental health, yet participation among Norwegian university students remains below nationally recommended levels. This study explored facilitators and barriers for physical activity among first-year students, using the COM-B model as a conceptual framework. Fifteen physically active first-year students from two higher education campuses in Bod\u00f8 were interviewed in spring 2025, and the data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Analysis showed that students\u2019 activity behaviours were shaped by a dynamic interaction between physical and psychological capabilities, particularly in relation to technical competence, previous injuries, and self-regulation strategies. Opportunity-related factors\u2014such as time constraints, financial limitations, commuting distance, and access to facilities\u2014substantially influenced students\u2019 ability to maintain regular activity, while social support from friends, family, and peers functioned as an important facilitator. Motivation emerged through a mixture of automatic processes\u2014including stress reduction, enjoyment, and habits\u2014and reflective processes such as goal-setting and health-oriented decision-making. For students in physically demanding study programmes, professional identity and body-related expectations also contributed to their engagement. Overall, this study highlights the need for institutional strategies that simultaneously address structural, social, and psychological factors to support sustainable physical activity habits during the transition to university life.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23050673","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T16:46:18Z","timestamp":1779381978000},"page":"673","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Facilitators and Barriers for Participation in Physical Activity Among Norwegian Physically Active First-Year Students: A Qualitative Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Friedolin","family":"Steinhardt","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, University of Innland Norway, 2406 Elverum, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6969-3938","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stine","family":"Pedersen B\u00f8tun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sports, and Outdoor Life, Faculty of Education and Arts, Nord University, 8026 Bod\u00f8, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Line","family":"Dverseth Tj\u00e6randsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sports, and Outdoor Life, Faculty of Education and Arts, Nord University, 8026 Bod\u00f8, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jshs.2020.07.004","article-title":"The whole day matters: Understanding 24-hour movement guideline adherence and relationships with health indicators across the lifespan","volume":"9","author":"Scott","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. 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