IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p7870-d848739.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Physical Fitness of Chinese Primary School Students across the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Retrospective Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Author

Listed:
  • Wei-Ning Hu

    (Physical Education Group, Yuxian School, Guangzhou 511400, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Dong-Yue Li

    (Department of Physical Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Wing-Kai Lam

    (Sports Information and External Affairs Centre, Hong Kong Sports Institute, Hong Kong 999077, China)

  • Yi Wang

    (Department of Physical Education, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
    Sports and Social Development Research Center, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)

  • Duo Wai-Chi Wong

    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
    Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China)

  • James Chung-Wai Cheung

    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
    Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China)

Abstract

Social distancing measures against COVID-19 imposed restrictions on students that may have affected their physical health and fitness. The objective of this study was to investigate the change in physical fitness of primary school students across the coronavirus outbreaks from 2019 to 2021. This was a retrospective repeated cross-sectional study. We obtained the annual physical and fitness assessment data measured every November for all students at the same primary school in Guangzhou, China. There was a total of 6371 observations in the dataset for three years. The physical fitness of the students was evaluated with an overall physical fitness score, body mass index (BMI), lung vital capacity, physical flexibility (via a sit-and-reach test) and sports task performances (sprint, shuttle run, rope-jumping, and sit-up). Generalised estimating equations were used to determine any significant changes from 2019 to 2021, adjusted for confounders. After the COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, there was a significant elevation in BMI of 0.64 kg/m 2 in 2020 and 0.39 kg/m 2 in 2021 ( p < 0.001). The overall physical fitness score was significantly increased by 2.1 and 4.1 points, respectively, in 2020 and 2021 ( p < 0.001). Lung vital capacity and rope-jumping performance were significantly improved in both 2020 and 2021 compared with 2019, and sit-up performance was marginally significantly improved in 2020 and significantly improved in 2021. However, students demonstrated poorer flexibility and sprint and shuttle run performance in 2021 compared with 2019. A health promotion programme during and after COVID-19, including online physical education classes, television broadcasts, and a rope-jumping campaign, could account for these positive outcomes, along with the ease of administering rope-jumping and sit-ups at home.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei-Ning Hu & Dong-Yue Li & Wing-Kai Lam & Yi Wang & Duo Wai-Chi Wong & James Chung-Wai Cheung, 2022. "Physical Fitness of Chinese Primary School Students across the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Retrospective Repeated Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7870-:d:848739
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7870/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7870/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jena, Pradyot Ranjan & Majhi, Ritanjali & Kalli, Rajesh & Managi, Shunsuke & Majhi, Babita, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on GDP of major economies: Application of the artificial neural network forecaster," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 324-339.
    2. Athanasios Tsoukos & Gregory C. Bogdanis, 2021. "The Effects of a Five-Month Lockdown Due to COVID-19 on Physical Fitness Parameters in Adolescent Students: A Comparison between Cohorts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Szymkowiak, Andrzej & Melović, Boban & Dabić, Marina & Jeganathan, Kishokanth & Kundi, Gagandeep Singh, 2021. "Information technology and Gen Z: The role of teachers, the internet, and technology in the education of young people," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. María Rúa-Alonso & Jessica Rial-Vázquez & Iván Nine & Jose Ramón Lete-Lasa & Iván Clavel & Manuel A. Giráldez-García & Miguel Rodríguez-Corral & Xurxo Dopico-Calvo & Eliseo Iglesias-Soler, 2022. "Comparison of Physical Fitness Profiles Obtained before and during COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Independent Large Samples of Children and Adolescents: DAFIS Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Fuhmei Wang & Jung-Der Wang, 2022. "Estimating US Earnings Loss Associated with COVID-19 Based on Human Capital Calculation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-10, January.
    6. Hyuma Makizako & Shoma Akaida & Saki Shono & Ryuhei Shiiba & Yoshiaki Taniguchi & Daijo Shiratsuchi & Yuki Nakai, 2021. "Physical Activity and Perceived Physical Fitness during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Population of 40- to 69-Year-Olds in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-9, April.
    7. Fabian Schwendinger & Elena Pocecco, 2020. "Counteracting Physical Inactivity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Home-Based Exercise," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-5, June.
    8. Peige Song & Xue Li & Danijela Gasevic & Ana Borges Flores & Zengli Yu, 2016. "BMI, Waist Circumference Reference Values for Chinese School-Aged Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eui-Jae Lee & Dong-il Seo & Seung-Man Lee & Jong-Hyuck Kim, 2022. "Changes in Physical Fitness among Elementary and Middle School Students in Korea before and after COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fuhmei Wang & Jinwei Lui & Jung-Der Wang, 2023. "Losses of Life Expectancy and Productivity Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada: Policy Implication for Future Communicable Disease Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-9, January.
    2. Khan, Nawab Ali & Azhar, Mohd & Rahman, Mohd Nayyer & Akhtar, Mohd Junaid, 2022. "Scale development and validation for usage of social networking sites during COVID-19," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Orietta Nicolis & Jean Paul Maidana & Fabian Contreras & Danilo Leal, 2024. "Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 on Economic Sustainability: A Clustering Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-30, February.
    4. Fang, Lan & Quan, Yurong & Mao, Hui & Chen, Shaojian, 2022. "The Information Communication Technology and Off-farm Employment of Rural Laborers: An Analysis Based on the Micro Data of China Family Panel Studies," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322088, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Lu, Ran & Xu, Wen & Zeng, Hongjun & Zhou, Xiangjing, 2023. "Volatility connectedness among the Indian equity and major commodity markets under the COVID-19 scenario," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1465-1481.
    6. Zhuoyao Cui & Haochen Yang, 2023. "From Game Elements to Active Learning Intentions: Exploring the Driving Factors in Digital Learning Platforms," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    7. Marc Dauty & Jérôme Grondin & Pauline Daley & Bastien Louguet & Pierre Menu & Alban Fouasson-Chailloux, 2022. "Consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Anaerobic Performances in Young Elite Soccer Players," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-9, May.
    8. Yothin Jinjarak & Ilan Noy & Quy Ta, 2022. "Pandemics and Economic Growth: Evidence from the 1968 H3N2 Influenza," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 73-93, March.
    9. Sergio Bravo-Cucci & Joan Chipia & Sandra Lobo & Lizmery López & Regina Munarriz-Medina & Tania Alvarado-Santiago & Rodrigo Núñez-Cortés, 2022. "Lifestyles during the First Wave of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study of 16,811 Adults from Spanish-Speaking Countries in South America," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.
    10. Mitja Vrdelja & Sanja Vrbovšek & Vito Klopčič & Kevin Dadaczynski & Orkan Okan, 2021. "Facing the Growing COVID-19 Infodemic: Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behaviour of University Students in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-16, August.
    11. Marina Yu. Malkina, 2021. "How the 2020 pandemic affected tax revenues in Russian regions?," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 16(2), pages 239-260, June.
    12. Eui-Jae Lee & Dong-il Seo & Seung-Man Lee & Jong-Hyuck Kim, 2022. "Changes in Physical Fitness among Elementary and Middle School Students in Korea before and after COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.
    13. Isabela Coelho Ponciano & Mariana Balbi Seixas & Tiago Peçanha & Adriano Luiz Pereira & Patrícia Fernandes Trevizan & Raquel Rodrigues Britto & Lilian Pinto da Silva, 2022. "Maintenance of Physical Activity Behavior by Individuals with Prediabetes and Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic after Completing an Exercise Intervention in Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-14, July.
    14. Sean G. Young, 2023. "Hidden Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-7, April.
    15. Maria Elvén & Birgitta Kerstis & Jonas Stier & Charlotta Hellström & Petra von Heideken Wågert & Micael Dahlen & Daniel Lindberg, 2022. "Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Swedish Population Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-15, February.
    16. Segarra-Blasco, Agustí & Teruel, Mercedes & Cattaruzzo, Sebastiano, 2021. "The economic reaction to non-pharmaceutical interventions during Covid-19," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 592-608.
    17. Md Asadullah & Minara Yeasmin & Abid Fakhre Alam & Abdulaziz Alsolami & Naved Ahmad & Ibrahim Atoum, 2023. "Towards a Sustainable Future: A Systematic Review of Mobile Learning and Studies in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-17, August.
    18. Peige Song & Jinyue Yu & Manli Wang & Xinlei Chang & Jiawen Wang & Lin An, 2017. "Prevalence and Correlates of Suspected Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Chinese Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-10, April.
    19. Christian Dreger & Daniel Gros, 2021. "Lockdowns and the US Unemployment Crisis," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 449-463, October.
    20. Mitsuru Mori & Toshiaki Seko & Shunichi Ogawa, 2022. "Association of Social Capital and Locus of Control with Perceived Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-9, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7870-:d:848739. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.