Comparison Between Current and Pre-Pandemic Physical Activity Level of Freshmen College Students

Aim: The restricted mobility of the students during the global COVID pandemic impacted on their physical activity level (PAL) and physical fitness level (PFL). The objectives of the study were to (1) describe the current PAL and health- and skill-related PFL of 1st year college students, (2) determine the correlation between PAL and PFL, and (3) compare current and pre-pandemic perceived PALs. Methods: A descriptive research design was used. A retrospective data from students enrolled in Physical Education (PE) 1 was reviewed. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to measure PAL; health-related and skill-related PFL were measured using traditional PE-based standardized tests and 10-cm visual analog scale for perceived current and pre-pandemic PAL. Spearman rho was used to determine the correlation between PAL and PFL and paired t test to compare change in PAL. Results: The students had moderate PAL. All health-related and skill-related PFL was good except for flexibility and agility which was poor. Spearman rho correlations revealed a statistically significant correlation between PAL and muscle endurance (r = .397; n = 55; p = .004). Paired t test showed a statistically significant reduction in current compared with the pre-pandemic PAL t (54) = 2.34, p = 0.023. Conclusion and Implications: Freshmen students have acceptable PAL and PFL except for flexibility and agility while poor muscle endurance correlated with lower PAL. A reduction in their PAL was noted during the pandemic. This indicates the need for programs to improve students’ flexibility, agility, and muscle endurance to be incorporated in their PE classes and daily activities to improve their PAL and PFL.