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Sedentary LifestyleSUSTAIN-EXNCT07676292

Effects of Sustainable Exercise Habits in University Students

An observational study of Sedentary Lifestyle and Physical Activity, run by Yeditepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This cross-sectional comparative study aims to evaluate the effects of sustainable exercise habits on cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality in university students. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Sedentary Lifestyle, Physical Activity
What is being tested?
Survey-based Assessment
How many people
140 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
10 Jun 2026to 30 Jul 2026
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 25 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: This study will include healthy university students aged 18 to 25 who are currently studying at universities in Turkey. The study population is divided into two main groups based on their physical activity levels: a sustainable exercise group consisting of students who exercise regularly, and a sedentary group consisting of students who do not exercise regularly.

Who may be able to join

  • Being a university student aged between 18 and 25 years
  • Volunteering to participate in the study

Who cannot join

  • Having any diagnosed psychiatric disorder
  • Regularly using medications that affect sleep patterns or cognitive functions
  • Having been diagnosed with a sleep disorder
  • Having a history of substance or alcohol addiction
  • Having had an acute illness within the last 1 month
  • Having undergone surgery within the last 6 months

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Aslı Yeral, Asst. Prof. Dr contact

0537 965 8494

asli.yeral@yeditepe.edu.tr

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Yeditepe University Faculty of Health Sciences

    Istanbul, Istanbul, 34755

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: From Mind to Body: Evaluating the Effects of Sustainable Exercise Habits on Cognitive Awareness, Body Awareness, and Sleep Quality in University Students

This cross-sectional comparative study aims to evaluate the effects of sustainable exercise habits on cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality in university students.

The main hypotheses are:

H0: There is no difference in cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality between university students with sustainable exercise habits and those with a sedentary lifestyle.

H1: There is a difference in cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality between university students with sustainable exercise habits and those with a sedentary lifestyle.

Read the detailed description

Healthy university students aged 18-25 who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in this comparative cross-sectional study to demonstrate the effects of sustainable exercise habits on cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality.

Participants will be divided into two different groups based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) results: the Sustainable Exercise Group and the Sedentary Group. The Sustainable Exercise Group will consist of students who have been performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week regularly for at least the last 6 months. The Sedentary Group will include individuals with a weekly physical activity duration of less than 60 minutes or those without a regular exercise habit for the last 6 months.

No intervention or experimental procedure will be applied to the participants. All assessments will be prepared as online questionnaires and sent to the participants via Google Forms.

Before the evaluation, participants will be informed about the study and their consent will be obtained online. Following this, the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity routines, and sedentary behaviors will be questioned with a structured evaluation form. The physical activity levels, body awareness, decision-making styles, critical thinking dispositions, and sleep quality of the participants will be evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, Body Awareness Questionnaire, Melbourne Decision Making Scale, Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively.

Being tested
Survey-based Assessment
Keywords
University Students, Sustainable Exercise, Sedentary Behavior, Cognitive Awareness, Decision Making, Sleep Quality, body awareness
Medical subject headings
Sedentary Behavior, Motor Activity, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Survey-based AssessmentOther

    No pharmacological or physical intervention is applied. Participants are assigned to groups based on their self-reported physical activity habits. Assessment consists of an online survey battery to evaluate cognitive awareness, body awareness, and sleep quality.

Study groups in NCT07676292
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Sustainable Exercise GroupUniversity students who have been performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week regularly for at least the last 6 months.
Receives: Other: Survey-based Assessment
Sedentary GroupUniversity students with a weekly physical activity duration of less than 60 minutes or those without a regular exercise habit for the last 6 months.
Receives: Other: Survey-based Assessment

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) - Short Form

    The IPAQ-Short Form will be used to determine the physical activity levels of the participants. This questionnaire consists of 7 questions and provides information about the duration of vigorous activity, moderate activity, walking, and sitting performed in the last 7 days. The data obtained will be calculated in MET-minutes/week. Based on the results, participants will be classified as physically inactive, having low activity level, or adequate activity level.

    Measured: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Body Awareness Questionnaire

    This questionnaire will be used to measure individuals' awareness of their non-pathological bodily processes, such as sensitivity to bodily rhythms, abnormal changes, and variations in body functions. It consists of 18 items. A high total score indicates that the individual has a high level of body awareness.

    Measured: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026

  2. Melbourne Decision Making Scale

    This scale will be used to evaluate participants' decision-making self-esteem and decision-making styles. The scale consists of two parts: the first part measures self-esteem in decision making, and the second part measures decision-making styles including careful, avoidant, procrastinating, and panic decision making. It includes a total of 22 items.

    Measured: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026

  3. Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale

    This scale will be used to determine the critical thinking dispositions of the university students. It is a measurement tool consisting of 28 items that include sub-dimensions such as reasoning, searching, evidence gathering, and open-mindedness.

    Measured: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026

  4. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    The PSQI will be used to evaluate the participants' sleep quality and sleep disturbance levels over the past month. The scale consists of 19 self-report questions evaluating 7 components: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. A total score of 5 or higher is evaluated as poor sleep quality.

    Measured: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Jun 2026
  2. Study start10 Jun 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion27 Jul 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Jul 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
140 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07676292
Sponsor's protocol ID
yeditepe04
Acronym
SUSTAIN-EX
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
24 Jun 2026
Last updated
30 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Passarello N, Varini L, Liparoti M, Troisi Lopez E, Sorrentino P, Alivernini F, Gigliotta O, Lucidi F, Mandolesi L. Boosting effect of regular sport practice in young adults: Preliminary results on cognitive and emotional abilities. Front Psychol. 2022 Sep 28;13:957281. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957281. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 36248595
  • Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep. 1985 Mar-Apr;100(2):126-31.

    PubMed 3920711
  • Peterson NE, Sirard JR, Kulbok PA, DeBoer MD, Erickson JM. Sedentary behavior and physical activity of young adult university students. Res Nurs Health. 2018 Feb;41(1):30-38. doi: 10.1002/nur.21845. Epub 2018 Jan 9.

    PubMed 29315656
  • Di Benedetto M, Towt CJ, Jackson ML. A Cluster Analysis of Sleep Quality, Self-Care Behaviors, and Mental Health Risk in Australian University Students. Behav Sleep Med. 2020 May-Jun;18(3):309-320. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2019.1580194. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

    PubMed 30821507
  • Tanik F, Ozer Kaya D. Relationships Between Function, Pain Severity and Psychological and Cognitive Levels in People With Chronic Neck Pain: Cross-Sectional Study. Pain Manag Nurs. 2024 Dec;25(6):645-651. doi: 10.1016/j.pmn.2024.06.008. Epub 2024 Jul 12.

    PubMed 39003128
  • Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF 3rd, Monk TH, Berman SR, Kupfer DJ. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989 May;28(2):193-213. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4.

    PubMed 2748771
  • Mehling WE, Gopisetty V, Daubenmier J, Price CJ, Hecht FM, Stewart A. Body awareness: construct and self-report measures. PLoS One. 2009;4(5):e5614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005614. Epub 2009 May 19.

    PubMed 19440300
  • Memon AR, Gupta CC, Crowther ME, Ferguson SA, Tuckwell GA, Vincent GE. Sleep and physical activity in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2021 Aug;58:101482. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101482. Epub 2021 Mar 20.

    PubMed 33864990
  • Osherow EK, Gnall KE, Park CL. Associations between interoceptive awareness and leisure time physical activity intensity, engagement, and duration. Psychol Health. 2025 Sep 17:1-24. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2025.2560363. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 40961461
  • Irwin JD. Prevalence of university students' sufficient physical activity: a systematic review. Percept Mot Skills. 2004 Jun;98(3 Pt 1):927-43. doi: 10.2466/pms.98.3.927-943.

    PubMed 15209309
  • Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, Carty C, Chaput JP, Chastin S, Chou R, Dempsey PC, DiPietro L, Ekelund U, Firth J, Friedenreich CM, Garcia L, Gichu M, Jago R, Katzmarzyk PT, Lambert E, Leitzmann M, Milton K, Ortega FB, Ranasinghe C, Stamatakis E, Tiedemann A, Troiano RP, van der Ploeg HP, Wari V, Willumsen JF. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;54(24):1451-1462. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955.

    PubMed 33239350
  • Moulin MS, Truelove S, Burke SM, Irwin JD. Sedentary time among undergraduate students: A systematic review. J Am Coll Health. 2021 Apr;69(3):237-244. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1661422. Epub 2019 Sep 13.

    PubMed 31518211
  • Tremblay MS, Colley RC, Saunders TJ, Healy GN, Owen N. Physiological and health implications of a sedentary lifestyle. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010 Dec;35(6):725-40. doi: 10.1139/H10-079.

    PubMed 21164543
  • Ferreira Silva RM, Mendonca CR, Azevedo VD, Raoof Memon A, Noll PRES, Noll M. Barriers to high school and university students' physical activity: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2022 Apr 4;17(4):e0265913. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265913. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 35377905

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Sedentary Lifestyle and Physical Activity, run by Yeditepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Aslı Yeral, Asst. Prof. Dr (0537 965 8494, asli.yeral@yeditepe.edu.tr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) - Short Form (time frame: 8-week period between April 2026 and May 2026). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07676292, which also lists 14 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Jun 2026.

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