Abstract

Author(s): Vásquez-Gómez, Jaime A1,2,3; Castillo-Retamal, Marcelo E4; Souza de Carvalho, Ricardo4; Faundez-Casanova, Cesar P4; Torrealba-Campos, Angélica P4

Introduction: university students are subject to changes in their lifestyles at a social, psychological and biological level.

Objectives: was to determine differences in anthropometry, physical activity levels and physical condition in physical education students of both genders between the first and fourth year of career.

Methods: study with group evolution (cohort) with 28 students. The anthropometry with the ISAK protocol were measured at the first and fourth year, physical activity levels with the short version IPAQ questionnaire and physical condition with indirect tests. The Student’s t-test for related samples (p<0.05) was used with the SPSS program v24.

Results: body weight, waist-hip index, waist and abdominal circumference increased (p<0.01) and BMI (p=0.116). Most of the upper limb and trunk folds decreased, although that of the iliac (p<0.0001) and abdominal (p=0.031) crest significantly. The energy cost of moderate, walking and weekly physical activity decreased, but only statistically (p=0.048). Flexo-extensions of the elbow, cardiorespiratory resistance and horizontal jump increased, the latter significantly (p=0.004), but the abdominal test and flexibility decreased.

Discussion: the weight, waist circumference and BMI of Chilean physical education students decreased, in our research the hip waist index and weight increased. The energy expenditure decreased and agrees with people who have college studies after 13 years. In physical condition it is not clear if the performance increases or decreases compared with other physical education students.

Conclusions: body adiposity increased over the years, physical activity levels and physical condition decreased.