Physical Fitness and Physical Activity in Young Adults: A Comparative Study Between Two Higher Education Institutions
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Le résumé fourni par la source
Background: Evidence suggests that physical activity and fitness tend to decline during the transition to higher education, yet the influence of institutional environment on these variables remains unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to compare physical fitness and physical activity levels between first-year students from two higher education institutions within the same national context. Methods: Fifty-eight male university students (IPB (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança): n = 31; IPG (Instituto Politécnico da Guarda): n = 27; mean age IPB = 19.2 ± 1.8 years; IPG = 19.8 ± 5.5 years) were assessed for body composition, handgrip strength, mid-thigh pull, standing long jump, stork balance, flexibility, and estimated VO2max (StepTest4all). Physical activity levels were determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and were classified as low, moderate, or high. Between-group comparisons were performed using independent samples t-tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Students from IPB presented significantly higher IPAQ scores (2.97 ± 0.18) compared with those from IPG (2.56 ± 0.64; t = 3.235, p = 0.003, d = 0.90), along with superior standing long jump performance (1.95 ± 0.15 m vs. 2.12 ± 0.24 m; t = −3.239, p = 0.002, d = 0.85). No significant differences were observed for body composition, strength, flexibility, balance, psychological well-being or VO2max (all p > 0.05), although small effects were noted for flexibility (d = 0.50) and VO2max (d = 0.48). The distribution of physical activity categories revealed that 96.8% of IPB students were classified as highly active, whereas IPG students were more evenly distributed across high (63.0%), moderate (28.6%), and low (7.4%) activity levels. Conclusions: These findings indicate that institutional environment and access to exercise opportunities may influence physical activity behavior and lower-limb power in university students. Promoting structured physical activity programs and recreational opportunities within higher education may help sustain adequate fitness and health in this population.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Physical Fitness and Physical Activity in Young Adults: A Comparative Study Between Two Higher Education Institutions
- Date Crossref
- 31/12/2025
- Éditeur
- MDPI AG
- Type
- journal-article
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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University of Beira Interior Department of Sports Sciences University of Beira Interior, Mozambique (ville ou établissement reconnu, pays non nommé)Université ou école supérieure
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Polytechnic Institute of Bragança pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Sprint (United States) pays non établi dans la noticeEntreprise
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Instituto Politécnico da Guarda pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Research Centre for Active Living and Wellbeing (LiveWell) pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Research Centre in Sports Sciences pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Department of Sport Sciences pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Polytechnic of Guarda Department of Sports and Expressions pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Sport Physical Activity and Health & Innovation Center (SPRINT) pays non établi dans la noticeInstitution
Department of Sports Sciences — University of Beira Interior (University of Beira Interior, Mozambique), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança et Sprint (United States), avec 6 autres affiliations. Pays d’affiliation : Mozambique.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.