<![CDATA[Background: Among college students, engagement in physical activity is influenced by various psychological factors, one of which is self-efficacy. This construct describes an individual's confidence in their capability to accomplish intended goals. When self-efficacy is inadequate, students may be more likely to adopt sedentary habits, potentially leading to unfavorable physical and mental health outcomes. Objective: This study was conducted to explore whether self-efficacy is associated with physical activity among college students. Methods: Using a cross-sectional analytical observational design, this quantitative research involved 383 undergraduate students from the 2023 cohort who were recruited through random sampling. The “General Self-Efficacy Scale” or GSES was utilized to assess self-efficacy, whereas physical activity was evaluated using the “International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form” or IPAQ-SF. Participant profiles and research variables were summarized through descriptive statistical analysis. Prior to hypothesis testing, data distribution was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Since findings indicated a non-normal distribution (p < 0.05), Spearman’s rho was applied to examine the association between variables at a significance level of 5%. Ethical clearance for the study was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang. Results: Of all participants, 69.7% were women, while respondents aged 20 years represented 47.8% of the sample. The analysis showed the mean score of self-efficacy reached 28.79, and the average physical activity level was 1,812.93 MET-minutes/week. Correlation testing revealed self-efficacy was positively related to physical activity (r = 0.156; p = 0.002). Although significant, the strength of the correlation was categorized as weak. Conclusion: Self-efficacy is significantly linked to physical activity among college students. Students with stronger self-efficacy tend to demonstrate higher levels of physical activity.]]>
