Assessment of the Level of Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in a Sample of University Students. Comparison after the Covid-19 Pandemic

The transition from secondary education to university education has become a critical moment for the lifestyle of young people, especially for the practice of physical activity. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to assess the levels of physical activity in university students, by correlating the results of the IPAQ-SF and the different physical fitness variables (Eurofit). The sample consisted of 194 students of the Primary Education Degree, with a mean age of 21.37 +/- 2.66 years. The main results obtained reflect the direct relationship between the practice of physical activity in general, and vigorous physical activity in particular, and optimal physical fitness of university students, linked above all to the strength component. As for the comparison between prepandemic ( 18/19) and post-pandemic (21/ 22) university students, the increase in physical activity after the pandemic did not show substantial differences in the physical fitness components. In conclusion, these results should lead us to reflect on the influence of an active lifestyle on physical fitness, which has an impact on overall health status and quality of life.

Transparency of Public Information on the Websites of Municipalities as a Tool for Civic Auditing During COVID-19 of 2020

Access to public information is the basis for effective citizen participation and the strengthening of democracy. This research was conducted using a quantitative approach at an exploratory level, using a mixed documentary and field study strategy with the aim of presenting the transparency levels of public information in the municipal websites of different capitals of Ecuador during COVID-19. During July 2021, a questionnaire of 13 questions was applied, which consisted on two open and 11 closed questions, the latter with dichotomous and Likert scales. The sample consisted of 343 individuals. Among the most relevant results, the interest of citizens (62.10%) in using the municipalities' webpages to obtain information stands out;however, they express the limited availability of information as well as its quality (clarity and reliability), especially during the health crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the needs of the population (95.30%) for having means and tools that allow the different social groups and actors to have access to public information, in order to exercise effective participation and civic auditing of public affairs. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.