Search results

1

Demographic factors and physical activity of female undergraduates

100%

Buková A., Zusková K., Szerdiová L., Küchelová Z.

Physical Activity Review

|

2017

|

vol. 5

202-211

EN

Introduction:University years play an important role in building healthy lifestyle patterns and attitudes towards physical activity (PA) and sport. Regarding PA, female students are a riskier group than males. The environment can play an important role both as a barrier but also as support for PA. While researching PA in individual population groups, an ecological approach has to be taken into account. The aim of the research was to broaden knowledge about the underlying physical activity of female undergraduates in relation to selected demographic indicators, namely to urban and rural residence, its size in terms of population and the person's current place of residence during her studies. In monitoring PA, we focused on the frequency of sports activity, including exercise. Methods: The cohort of this cross-sectional study consisted of 1.630 female undergraduates from two universities in Eastern Slovakia. The research was carried out as part of the grant-aided VEGA Project No. 1/1343/12 "Selected risk factors of obesity and its prevention through physical activity" addressed by the Institute of Physical Education and Sport at P.J. Šafárik University (UPJŠ) in Košice. Data on frequency and regularity of doing sports, including exercise, during the previous half a year, the place of residence (city/country), population of residence, and the current place of residence during their studies were collected via a set of questions in a survey questionnaire designed for the purposes of the above research study. Data were processed using SPSS 23 software program. To find out the correlation between doing sport activities and selected demographic variables, the Spearman Chi quadrate test and the Cramer coefficient of association were used. Results: Female students of both universities demonstrated low levels of engagement with sport activity and exercise in terms of the frequency and regularity of its performance in a week over the previous half year. We found significant correlation between the frequency of the sports activity by the undergraduates and the place of their permanent residence, with a result favouring city dwellers against the countryside. Paradoxically, there is no significant correlation regarding the number of inhabitants at the place of residence, although we can observe a certain positive tendency in favor of agglomerations with a population of over 50,000. The factor of the current place of residence during university studies proved to be insignificant.

2

Relationship between diet and body fat percentage in female undergraduates

100%

Feč R., Buková A., Brtková M.

Physical Activity Review

|

2015

|

vol. 3

22-31

EN

At the turn of the millennium obesity has become the most common metabolic disease due to changes in life conditions and lifestyle. The rise of overweight and obesity is the result of inadequate energy intake relative to its expense. Only 2 to 5% of all cases of overweight or obesity have objective medical causes. In view of energy balance, equally important to the amount of calories consumed is their distribution throughout the day. Other cases are clearly the result of improper lifestyle. A basic remedy to this condition appears to be an increase in the volume of regular physical activities and the establishment of an active healthy lifestyle. The aim of the research under the grant VEGA No. 1/1343/12 "Selected risk factors of obesity and its physical prevention" was to determine the relationship between selected factors of diet and the amount of body fat in female undergraduates. The study group consisted of female students at P.J. Šafarik University (n=620, average age=20.8 years). We examined the eating habits applying a non-standardized questionnaire compiled by ourselves. We followed the frequency of meals and their regularity, (breakfast, dinner), the time and quantity of the meals consumed in the evening hours. We determined the percentage of body fat using an Omron BF51 scale. We calculated the basic statistical characteristics (arithmetic mean, median). In order to detect statistically significant differences between particular variables, we applied the non-parametric Kruskal - Valis analysis of variance (H - test) and the Man - Whitney U test. Statistically significant differences in the percentage of fat was found in students divided into groups according to their responses regarding the variable "Frequency of meals" (p = 0.023), "Dinner regularity " (p = 0.001) and "Dinner time before bedtime" (p = 0.001). The research results show the importance of diet regularity and its optimal frequency. Especially important is the regularity of dinner, while the last meal should not be consumed later than 2 hours before bedtime.

3

Incidence of health problems in relation with BMI and physical activity of college students

100%

Küchelová Z., Zusková K., Buková A., Hančov M.

Physical Activity Review

|

2014

|

vol. 2

65-76

EN

Steady decline in habitual physical activity in children and youth has resulted in an increase in body weight with age and a decline in functional ability. Hypokinesia in conjunction with poor diet and stress levels are prerequisites of lifestyle diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and obesity. In this partial research, being part of the VEGA research No. 1/1343/12 "Selected risk factors of obesity and exercise prevention", we looked at the incidence of health problems related to BMI and physical activity in college students. We calculated BMI based on anthropometric measurements of body height and weight. Using the questionnaire method, we collected data concerning subjectively assessed incidence of health problems and overall representation of physical activity (PA) in the lifestyle of respondents. The study group comprised 1,963 students, including 1,169 female and 794 male undergraduates from two Slovak universities. Health problems with the largest incidence were back pain, alergy, low blood pressure, headache, palpitation and respiratory diseases. Our research confirms that a greater representation of PA in students' lives positively relates to a lower BMI. The results of logistic regression confirm a significant relation between BMI and the following health problems: back pain, palpitation, high blood pressure, obesity, low blood pressure and respiratory illnesses. PA significantly corresponds with the occurence of health problems related to upper respiratory tract and high blood pressure.

Refine search results

3 Physical Activity Review

1 2017

1 2015

1 2014

3 Buková A.

2 Küchelová Z.

2 Zusková K.

1 Brtková M.

1 Feč R.

1 Hančov M.

1 Szerdiová L.

Demographic factors and physical activity of female undergraduates

Relationship between diet and body fat percentage in female undergraduates

Incidence of health problems in relation with BMI and physical activity of college students