The level of physical activity of university students in Lublin, Bialystok and Covilhã

Abstract

Objectives. The aim of the study is to determine the level and to compare the physical activity of students of the Medical University (MU) in Lublin and the University of Technology (BUT) in Bialystok, Poland, and the University of Beira Interior (UBI) in Covilhã, Portugal. Materials and method. A group of 823 people were examined: 108 students of the Medical University of Lublin, 118 students of Bialystok University of Technology, and 597 students of the University of Beira Interior in Covilhã. The study examined the level of student activity using the IPAQ questionnaire. Results. With reference to people (both women and men) studying at the MU in Lublin and at UBI in Portugal, the activity level was high, 60.2% and 51.8% respectively. In the group of BUT students sufficient activity prevailed-30.5% of the respondents. Insufficient activity level was characterized by 2.8% of MU students, 23.7% of BUT students and 12.7% of surveyed Portuguese students. Considering the gender of respondents, statistically significant differences in activity levels among Portuguese students were observed. A sufficient level of physical activity was characterized by a higher percentage of men than women, 37.5% and 33.8%, respectively. Conclusions. Students of the Medical University (MU), as well as Portuguese students, were characterized by a high level of physical activity, while students of the Bialystok University of Technology (BUT) had an adequate level of physical activity. Among women studying at MU, BUT and UBI in Portugal, the highest average energy expenditure values were related to walking effort. Among both women and men studying at MU, BUT and at UBI in Portugal, the lowest average values of energy consumption were for moderate activity. Students from MU spent less time sitting during one working day than BUT andUBI Portuguese students.

Physical Activity Behaviors and Physical Work Capacity in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Some studies have found that, before lockdown, Polish students in pro-health fields of study (e.g., physiotherapy, physical education, tourism and recreation) declared high levels of PA (2000–10,000 MET/week). The abovementioned studies were conducted with the IPAQ short-version scale, which means that the results are comparable with ours [ 35 , 36 ].…”

The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students

“…Another study found that half of the university students participating in the study were less active/inactive [ 31 ]. On the other hand, the data obtained from these studies indicate that especially males are more active or, similar to our study, although the level of physical activity is higher in males, it is not statistically significant [ 32 , 33 ]. The prevalence of low physical activity among the students participating in our study may be the effect of an ongoing sedentary period due to the pandemic.…”

“…In our study, there was no statistically significant relationship between the department of education and IPAQ scores. In one of the studies examining the physical activity status of different undergraduate departments, it was stated that the frequency of adequate physical activity was higher among medical students [ 33 ]. In our study, IPAQ scores do not differ according to BMI.…”

The Influence of COVID-19 on University Students’ Well-Being, Physical Activity, Body Composition, and Strength Endurance

“…The above could be attributed to their academic profile and obligatory participation in various types of PA. According to some studies, Polish students enrolled in health-related university programs (such as physiotherapy, physical education, tourism and recreation) had declared high levels of PA (2000–10,000 METs-min/week) before the lockdown [ 46 , 47 ]. However, the results of our study indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the surveyed students’ PA levels.…”