The profound impact of COVID-19 on college students’ physical fitness

TL;DR

This study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic led to weight gain and reduced physical fitness among medical college students over three years.

Contribution

The study provides longitudinal evidence of the pandemic's impact on college students' physical fitness, focusing on medical students.

Findings

Overweight/obese prevalence among students increased from 8.0% in 2019 to 10.1% in 2021.

Endurance running performance declined significantly in 2021 compared to previous years.

Male and female students showed reduced performance in standing long jump, 50-m dash, and 1,000/800 m run.

Abstract

This study expands existing research by examining longitudinal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical college students’ physical fitness.

A medical college in Wenzhou, was selected to examine the changes in physical fitness indicators among students from 2019 to 2021.

While most students maintained normal weight status (85.2%), overweight/obese prevalence increased significantly (8.0% in 2019, 8.9% in 2020, and 10.1% in 2021). Among male students, 67.0% were classified within the passing range, while the majority of female students (55.0%) fell within the “good” grade category. In 2021, a significant decline was observed in the standing long jump, 50-m dash, and 1,000/800 m run (p < 0.05) across both genders.

The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly contributed to increased weight gain among college students and a decline in their endurance running performance.

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