Exploring the Relationship Between Usage of Collegiate Recreation Facilities and Academic Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore grade point average among college students with varied usage levels of collegiate recreation (CR) facilities. Turnstile data was paired with demographic and academic data from university databases, including degree seeking status, to add a quasi-experimental component to the study (first time in college (FTIC) versus non-degree seeking students). Multinomial logistic regression analyses identified differences in grade point average for CR usage level, gender, and race/ethnicity (p < .0001). It was determined that high CR users were 3.1 (95% CI = 2.16, 4.39) times more likely to have a high GPA (≥3.8) versus low users. Results corroborate prior evidence that high users of collegiate recreation facilities are more likely to also have high academic achievement.