Secular trends of physical fitness for college students in Anhui Province over the past decade | BMC Public Health

This research examined the profile and trajectory of college students’ physical fitness over the past decade, with a particular focus on the enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that the physiological health of college students has consistently remained at a low level (approximately 70 points). The COVID-19 epidemic has unequivocally exerted a detrimental and long-lasting effect on their physical wellbeing. The data revealed a marked deficiency in physical activity among students, coupled with excessive sedentary behavior, leading to weight gain and increased obesity rates.

According to the first hypothesis the results showed that there was a consistent decline in the overall physical quality of students in the past decade. The physical fitness score of college students stands at 70 points, indicating a relatively low level of physical fitness. Prior to 2019, a gradual increase in physical fitness performance was observed, which was highly correlated with the country’s Healthy China and comprehensive fitness policies. This suggests that as living standards improve, individuals were increasingly prioritizing their own health. Chen et al. conducted a survey on physical fitness of freshmen at Bengbu medical college found a decreasing trend from 2014 to 2016 in Anhui province [18]. This was opposite to the trend of changes in girl students in this article, but was consistent with the pattern among boy college students from 2014 to 2015. This gap may be due to the fact that the research subject of this article was four grades in the entire school.

Excluding the year 2014, a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed in the results of the physical fitness tests between 2015 and 2022, compared to 2023. This indicated a significant decline in the physical fitness of students in 2023, which had reverted to levels comparable to those of 10 years ago. This decline merits significant attention. Between 2014 and 2015, there were no significant changes in the physical fitness scores of college students, indicating a consistent trend over these two years. However, when compared to the subsequent seven-year period (2016–2022), significant differences became evident. S1 (supporting information) reveals an upward trend in physical fitness data from 2016 to 2022, indicating a strengthened and significant improvement in the physical fitness of college students during this period. This improvement can be attributed to China’s national strategy of promoting a healthy China [6, 7]. The prompt implementation of this policy appears to had an immediate impact.

The consistently lower physical test scores among boy students compared to girl students align with the findings of Chen et al., who reported superior performance among female freshmen in physical fitness from 2014 to 2016 in Anhui province [18]. As evident from Table 3, the boy students’ pull-up scores were notably lower than the girl students’ sit-up scores. The boys’ upper limb strength remains a challenging aspect to improve upon, necessitating increased attention and reinforcement. Initially, the disparities in physical fitness scores between boy and girl students declined, but they subsequently increased, potentially influenced by their respective exercise habits. It is generally accepted that boys tend to engage more in physical exercise than girls.

The proportion of students achieving good grades remains relatively low and consistent over time. Conversely, the proportion of students achieving a pass level was the highest, albeit showing a gradual decrease each year. Notably, a distinct divergence exists between the trends of excellent and failed grades, which both exhibit a clear upward trend. This suggests a growing emphasis on physical fitness among students, indicating that exercise had become an integral part of their lifestyle [32]. As a result, their physical well-being had gradually improved. Conversely, students with poor physical fitness might be content with their present lifestyle, neglecting dietary restrictions and exercise, which could account for the decline in their physical fitness. Alternatively, they might lack scientific and professional guidance in sports and fitness, resulting in less effective workouts and a higher proportion of students experiencing poor physical fitness [33]. This is evident from the decreasing trend in pass level grades, indicating a shift from pass to failed students. Therefore, fostering a correct health mindset requires perseverance, dedication, and consistent effort to enhance the physical fitness of college students. Bravo-Sánchez et al. demonstrated that high use of the mobile phone was related to worse results in the physical fitness tests and academic performance [34].

Since the implementation of the National Strategy for Healthy China in 2015 [7, 35,36,37], the overall physical fitness scores of college students have been strengthened from 2016 to 2022, as evident from the data presented in S1 (supporting information). However, the classification situation remains complex, with a decreasing number of pass students and an increasing number of failed students [38]. This assessment was drawn from the physical fitness testing conducted in universities. Addressing the physical fitness of college students remains a paramount concern, particularly among the passing and failing categories.

According to the second hypothesis the results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and lasting impact on the physical health of college students. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, the government implemented measures encouraging the avoidance of unnecessary outdoor activities [2, 18, 30]. Consequently, engaging in physical exercise became less feasible, leading to a significant decline in physical fitness. By the end of 2022, with the conclusion of the pamdemic and the restoration of individuals’ freedom of movement, the improvement of physical fitness will require time to accumulate. This was evident from the nadir of physical decline among college students in 2023. It can be seen that the three-year global epidemic indeed had a significant impact on college students in Anhui Province. Other scholars, such as Osipov et al., Xia et al., Makizako et al., Liu et al., Pinho et al. [17, 21, 24, 30, 39], have also investigated the impact of the epidemic on worldwide physical fitness [40,41,42,43]. Zhou et al. found that both domestic college students and the overall physical fitness level of the population are showing a significant downward trend [19].

After 2020, there was a marked decline in aerobic endurance function, highlighting the profound impact of the three-year epidemic. While sit-and-reach and girls’ sit-ups have shown improvement, a clear downward trend was observed in 2023. Basterfield et al. found a decline of 1.8 cm in sit-and-reach for England children from 2019 to 2020 [17], indicating that the epidemic had significantly reduced the physical flexibility of college students. Boy pull-ups had consistently been the weakest performance, with a significant deviation from national standards, indicating severe degradation in boy upper limb strength. Overall, the physical fitness of college students had shown mixed trends, with some improvements but also numerous concerns that need to be addressed promptly. Xia et al. compared individual physical fitness between 2019 and 2020, finding consistent trends in body weight, sit-and-reach and pull-ups with this study [21].

Before 2019, boys were more inclined towards outdoor activities and sports; however, during the COVID-19 epidemic, their physical activity levels declined significantly, resulting in notable impacts on their physical health. The author hypothesized that the alterations in the overall scores of physical examinations, along with the standard deviation among boys and girls before and after the epidemic, were strongly associated with the outbreak that occurred at the end of 2019 [19, 30, 31, 39]. The decline in physical fitness among college students in 2023 was closely linked to the epidemic period (December 2019 to December 2022) [29, 31]. Notably, in 2023, the ratio of pass and failed students reached an unprecedented high, further highlighting the significant impact of the three-year epidemic on the physical fitness of college students [17, 19]. To restore their physical fitness to pre-epidemic levels, intensified time, and expanded exercise volume are required. This is the key focus for university staff and serves as a guiding principle for government departments in formulating pertinent policies.

According to the third hypothesis the results revealed students’ sedentary behavior was serious and lack of exercise. Agradual increase in body weight had been observed, with the epidemic’ impact being more pronounced. In 2023, both boy and girl students exhibited significant body weight gain, primarily attributed to increased caloric intake and decreased physical activity [44, 45]. In contrast, upon analyzing alterations in physical examination items spanning the past decade, it was evident that both boy and girl university students have experienced a notable increase in body height. Notably, the epidemic did not influence this growth, suggesting that the primary factor driving this trend is the improvement in living standards [46]. Regarding vital capacity, 2021 and 2022 marked the lowest values recorded over the past ten years for both boy and girl students, respectively, exhibiting a consistent yearly decline. This indicated a significant reduction in the vital capacity of college students. While the period from 2020 to 2022 was primarily influenced by the reduction in exercise due to epidemic lockdowns [2, 24]. However, the declining trend in vital capacity persisted in other years, suggesting additional factors such as insufficient exercise and prolonged sitting. Shi et al. found a positive association between insufficient physical activity, mobile phone addiction, and high levels of irrational procrastination [47].

In the boys’ 50-m dash, the shortest recorded time in 2023 indicates peak anaerobic performance, unhindered by the epidemic. Conversely, the girls’ 50-m dash performance levels in 2023 and 2014 remain consistent, with the longest duration indicating a slower speed and a notable impact from the epidemic [19, 48]. This observation highlight the urgent need to enhance the anaerobic function of girls. Furthermore, a significant decrease in performance data was observed in standing long jump from 2022 to 2023, indicating that the epidemic had severely compromised the explosive power of lower limb strength among college students. Additionally, the sit-and-reach had exhibited a marked increase followed by a notable decrease from 2021 to 2023, differing significantly from previous years. The primary culprit for this significant decrease in 2023 remains the impact of the epidemic [48]. In terms of endurance running among both genders, a prolonged duration in 2023 suggested a sluggish pace, along with a notable decline in aerobic function. This observation implied that the aerobic endurance of both boys and girls had been profoundly impacted by the epidemic [31, 49], indicating a possible lack of adequate exercise for long-distance running among college students. Furthermore, the boys’ pull-up performance had remained relatively low over the past decade, indicating a weakness in upper body strength. Similarly, the number of sit-ups performed by girls had also decreased significantly in 2023, presumably due to the epidemic’s significant influence. Ding and Jiang revealed that every physical fitness test chosen for evaluation was negatively related to the BMI results [50]. Body weight gain exceeding body height growth was the primary factor contributing to the decline of most physical fitness indicators in this study.

According to the fourth hypothesis the results showed the increasing prevalence of weight gain and obesity among students was notable. Over the past decade, a consistent upward trend had been observed in the body height and body weight of college students, along with significant alterations in body shape. This trend suggests that our country’s living standards are relatively high, leading to an elevated happiness index among its citizens [35]. However, it is noteworthy that the rate of body weight gain had outpaced the increase in body height, indicating potential issues with excessive nutrition intake and inadequate exercise among college students. Prompt measures are imperative to address the escalating issue of overweight and obesity. Furthermore, there was a consistent decline in vital capacity, 50-m dash, and standing long jump performance among college students. The significant decrease in vital capacity particularly indicated a substantial reduction in cardiovascular function. Additionally, there had been a notable decline in explosive power and anaerobic function, which directly impacts their overall physical fitness. In terms of aerobic endurance, a significant increase in time consumption and a reduction in speed, indicating a poor aerobic endurance level among college students.

By analyzing the development trend of students’ body weight categories, although the proportion of underweight students remains relatively low, it had been decreasing annually. Conversely, the proportion of overweight and obese students had been increasing significantly year on year. Chen et al. found that there was more overweight or obese students (23.5% for boys and 11.9% for girls) in freshman from year 2014 to 2016 [18]. This decline in the underweight and normal weight populations had contributed to the rise in overweight and obese populations. Since the introduction of the “Healthy China” national strategy in 2015, the proportion of students with normal weight had demonstrated an upward trend, while the proportion of underweight students had decreased. This indicates the effectiveness of the Healthy China policy. However, the outbreak of the epidemic in late 2019 led to a decline in the proportion of students with normal weight, reaching a historical low of 64.73% in 2023. Simultaneously, the proportion of overweight and obese students continued to increase, reaching record highs of 18.25% and 11.58% in 2023, respectively. Xia et al. found that overweight and obesity college students showing an increasing trend between 2019 and 2020 [21], consistent with the findings of this article. Basterfield et al. reported that overweight/obesity of England children increased from 33% in 2019 to 47% in 2020 [17]. Sedentary lifestyles and reduced physical activity have been identified as the primary culprits for this trend [51]. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among college students had reached epidemic levels, necessitating urgent measures to halt its further progression.

Underweight is unhealthy [8]. The analysis of underweight demonstrates that since the inception of the “Healthy China” initiative in 2015 [7, 8], the proportion of underweight university students consistently declined until approximately 2019. This trend suggested that a growing number of students have exited the unhealthy underweight category. However, following the outbreak of the epidemic in late 2019 [19, 48], the number of underweight students experienced a rapid resurgence in 2021, which subsequently tapered off. Maintaining a normal weight is crucial for overall health [52]. Examining normal weight revealed that since the implementation of the “Healthy China” strategy in 2015, the proportion of boys with a normal weight had been decreasing annually until 2020, while the proportion of girls with a normal weight had been increasing annually. Notably, the exercise habits of boy and girl students differ significantly [2, 42]. However, with the emergence of the epidemic at the end of 2019, the proportion of boys with a normal weight had been increasing yearly, whereas the proportion of girls had been decreasing yearly. This suggested that girl university students exhibit a positive correlation with the impact of external policies, whereas boy students exhibit a negative correlation. The underlying reasons for these observations merit further investigation. Obesity is detrimental to one’s health [53].

Upon examination of overweight, a correlation becomes evident between improving living standards and the yearly increase in the number of overweight individuals. Since the initiation of the “Healthy China” strategy in 2015 [7], the proportion of overweight boy students had remained relatively stable until 2020, with minimal impact on the girl population. Notably, the epidemic outbreak towards the end of 2019 had a substantial impact on boy students, leading to a rapid surge in overweight individuals due to decreased physical activity. Conversely, the number of overweight girl students actually decreased during this epidemic, potentially contribute to the observed increase in obesity rates. Obesity poses a significant threat to overall health [54]. Examining obesity revealed a correlation between the enhancement of living standards and the escalating prevalence of obesity among individuals, particularly among girls, whose growth rate surpasses that of boys. This disparity might be attributed to boys’ tendency towards physical activity versus girls’ tendency towards sedentariness. Despite the implementation of the “Healthy China” strategy in 2015 [7], the proportion of overweight boys and girls had continued to rise until 2020, indicating that the policy had not effectively curbed the obesity epidemic. The COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted at the end of 2019, had a profound impact on boy students [24, 31], resulting in a substantial increase in obesity rates due to decreased physical activity. Conversely, the number of obese girls increased slightly during the pandemic, potentially because boys engageing in more physical activity in their daily lives, and the pandemic-induced lockdowns led to a significant reduction in their activity levels [6,7,8, 52].

Strenghts and limitations of this study

This study offers an extensive analysis and discourse on physical fitness test results spanning a decade. The employed indicators for assessing physical fitness were methodical, enabling a comprehensive insight into the trends and specific data pertaining to the physical fitness of Chinese college students over this period (refer to the supplementary material for further details). However, the extensive dataset had generated numerous outcomes, which could potentially overwhelm readers. Additionally, the analysis encompassing numerous physical indices may result in discussions that are excessively broad. In subsequent research, we intend to conduct more focused and concise analyses of the physical examination data from the past decade. By delving more deeply into the data, we aim to provide a more granular analysis and discussion, with an emphasis on the fluctuations in college students’ physical fitness. We seek to counteract the decline in physical fitness and redouble our efforts to enhance students’ well-being.