A Study on the Correlation between Physical Activity and Physical Fitness Index of Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between PA and PFI among Chinese adolescents in order to enhance their physical activity levels. Methods A stratified cluster sampling method was utilized to select 4,220 Chinese adolescents aged 12–18 for testing and survey. The PA levels were analyzed using chi-square tests to explore the variations across different genders, school stages, and residential areas. Percentiles were employed to describe the PFI of the adolescents, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation between PA and PFI. Results (1) The proportion of high-intensity physical activity was 67.11% among males and 48.54% among females. Among junior high school adolescents, the proportion was 63.23%, while among high school adolescents, it was 53.66%. Urban adolescents had a proportion of 58.85% for high-intensity PA, whereas rural adolescents had 54.84%. (2) Males had higher PFI than females, with values of -0.5120 and − 0.6489, respectively. High school adolescents had higher PFI compared to junior high school adolescents, with values of -0.3140 and 1.9816, respectively. Urban adolescents had higher PFI than rural adolescents, with values of -0.6113 and − 0.4767, respectively. (3) Significant differences were observed in the PA and PFI among Chinese adolescents (P < 0.01). Conclusion (1) Significant differences in PA levels were observed among adolescents regarding gender, school stages, and residential areas (P < 0.05). (2) The PFI of adolescents exhibited a left-skewed distribution. (3) There was a significant positive correlation between PA and PFI among Chinese adolescents (P < 0.01).