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. 2022 Sep 5;10(9):1691.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare10091691.

Correlation and Change in Physical Activity and Physical Fitness across Four Years of College Students after One Year of COVID-19 Lockdown

Hongyan Yu  1 , Shicheng An  1 , Yiming Tao  1 , Larry Austin  2
Affiliations

Correlation and Change in Physical Activity and Physical Fitness across Four Years of College Students after One Year of COVID-19 Lockdown

Hongyan Yu et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

The relationship between physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) has been well established among college students. However, the impact of this relationship after 1 year of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures is unclear. This study aimed to test the relationship between PA and PF, exploring the trend across four years, the different components of PF related to PA, and their determinants, by analyzing specific items. A total of 1506 university students (19.48 ± 1.35 years old, 55.8% male) in years 1-4 at two comprehensive universities in Shanghai were recruited after one year of COVID restrictions and asked to complete the PF measurements and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ Chinese Short version). The PA level is categorized into three types of intensity (low-moderate-high), and the level of PF is represented by the total test score of each item. Results show that PA was significantly positively correlated with PF; PA levels significantly predicted 1000m-run, 50m-sprint, and standing-long-jump in males, and 800m-sprint and sit-ups in females. Males predominantly had high-intensity PA, whereas females maintained moderate-intensity PA over four academic years. Meanwhile, PA and PF both trended downward as academic years increased in males and females, which could be attributed to a decline in high-intensity PA. The following two recommendations were obtained from the study: first, college students should engage in high-intensity PA activities after the end of the epidemic. Second, colleges offer physical education classes for four academic years of college students to promote PA and PF.

Keywords: COVID-19; PE course; academic years; college students; physical activity; physical fitness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The percentages of the three levels of PA in each academic year for males.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The percentages of the three levels of PA in each academic year for females.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The PA (METs) in different academic years in males and females.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The total PF score in different academic years in males and females.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mean and standard deviation of PF at different PA levels in males and females.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mean and standard deviation of PF components at different PA levels in males.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Mean and standard deviation of PF components at different PA levels in females.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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