PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ABDOMINAL OBESITY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS สมรรถภาพทางกายและภาวะอ้วนลงพุงของนิสิตมหาวิทยาลัย

Abstract

The purposes of this investigation were to study the physical fitness and abdominal obesity in university students. The research was a study of cross-sectional design. Participants were 3,672 Naresuan University students who enrolled Sports and Exercise course. They were selected by purposive sampling and were students of 3 groups of faculties: 1) Health Sciences, 2) Sciences and Technology, and 3) Humanities and Social Sciences. The variables of physical fitness and central obesity were collected before course starting in 2nd - 3rd week and after course ending in 15th - 16th week of semester. The research instrument was health-related physical fitness testing. The outcomes were analyzed using mean, SEM, percentage, and ANOVA with repeated measures followed by LSD’s multiple comparison. The results were showed that after course ending, grip strength, abdominal strength and endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance of Sciences and Technology students were better than Health Sciences and Humanities and Social Sciences groups. At the end of the course there were significant improvement in all groups at .05 level in flexibility, upper body, abdominal, and lower body muscular fitness, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Abdominal obesity was apparently found in female in all groups of faculties. The waist circumference was greater in male and female of Humanities and Social Sciences students. The findings of this study were showed that physical activity in Sports and Exercise course can partly improve physical fitness in university students. Students should be suggested about exercise on how to do in the right way and be set exercise program consistent with principles of exercise. These findings can be useful to further planning on setting of environment in all faculties in the university for health promotion in university students.