The Physical Condition and Lifestyle Dimensions on Physical Fitness among College Students

Abstract

The physical health of male and female students at Guangdong Ocean University is generally satisfactory, with their body mass indexes clustered around normal levels, forming a bell curve distribution. When examining total physical fitness scores, male students peak during their sophomore year but decline in their junior year, while female students excel in their senior year but face challenges during their freshman year. Both genders grapple with malnutrition and obesity, with a higher incidence of malnutrition among female students and a greater prevalence of pre-obesity and obesity among males. In terms of lifestyle, students at Guangdong Ocean University lean towards healthy habits. Female students slightly outperform males, although the distinction is not significant. Both genders excel in internet use, interpersonal relationships, coping styles, hygiene, and study habits but struggle with eating and sleep quality. Notably, there are significant differences across five dimensions: sleep quality, study habits, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and coping styles. In these categories, males outperform females in physical exercise, internet use, and coping styles, while females fare better in tobacco and alcohol use, study habits, and sleep quality. Student lifestyles vary with academic progress. Those in lower grades exhibit healthier lifestyles, with sophomores achieving the highest scores and seniors the lowest. Overall, lifestyle scores tend to decrease as academic levels rise. Crucially, a significant correlation exists between students' physical fitness indicators and their lifestyle dimensions. A stepwise regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of lifestyle on physical condition, using physical form, function, and quality indexes as dependent variables and ten lifestyle dimensions as independent variables. Among male students, hygiene and physical exercise affect physical form, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, and dietary habits influence physical function, while sleep quality, dietary habits, physical exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use impact physical quality. For female students, dietary habits, sleep quality, and physical exercise influence physical form, dietary habits and physical exercise affect physical function, and sleep quality, dietary habits, and physical exercise play a role in physical quality. This study sheds light on the health and lifestyles of Guangdong Ocean University students, highlighting gender disparities in physical fitness and lifestyle habits. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing these variations and tailoring interventions to enhance the overall well-being of the student population.