RESUMO
Background: Regular physical activity (PA) and health-related physical fitness are key indicators of health outcomes. Physiotherapy professional bodies are recognizing that physical activity and exercise are integral to professional practice and are core contributors to health along with reducing the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. PA also improves emotion and stress control. Objective: The objectives of the study are to find the level of physical activity and compare physical fitness parameters in physiotherapy students by evaluating aerobic capacity, endurance and body composition in different levels of physical activity. Methods: An observational study was conducted on 100 male and female physiotherapy students aged 18-24 years using random sampling. Subjects having severe back pain, recent fractures were excluded. Students were divided into three groups low PA, moderate PA, high PA based on their Physical activity score evaluated using international physical activity questionnaire-short form (IPAQ). Aerobic capacity was measured by Queens college step test, endurance of trunk extensor muscles (TE) was found by Sorenson’s test and endurance of trunk flexor muscles (TF) by holding time of prone forearm plank position and body composition was calculated by Body mass index (BMI). Level of significance was kept at 5%. Results: Data of 100 students was analysed. Forty one students were in low activity group, Thirty four students were in moderate activity group and twenty five students were in high activity group. Mean Aerobic capacity was 42.94±8.31ml/min/kg, Trunk Flexor endurance was 63.62±25.65s, Trunk extensor endurance was 71.50±30.41s and BMI was 23.33±4.02kg/m2. Comparing means of 3 groups by Kruskal Wallis test, Aerobic capacity ᵪ2=51.019, p<0.001, TE endurance ᵪ2=23.644, p<0.001.TF endurance ᵪ2=15.832, p<0.001, BMI ᵪ2=2.869, p>0.05. Conclusion: Low to moderate level of physical activity was found among physiotherapy students. Physiotherapy students who were physically active in their routine life have better aerobic capacity, Trunk flexor endurance and Trunk extensor endurance and thus better physical fitness, compared to those with low levels of physical activity. The body mass Index was not significantly different in three groups.