CORRELATIONS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Zeliha Ba?kurt; Ferdi Ba?kurt; Sabriye Ercan; Tuba Ince parpucu

doi:10.24310/JPEHMjpehm.v2i1.6770

Authors

Zeliha Ba?kurt Suleyman Demirel University, Health Sciences Faculty, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, Isparta, Turkey. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7488-9242
Ferdi Ba?kurt Suleyman Demirel University, Health Sciences Faculty, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, Isparta, Turkey. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8997-4172
Sabriye Ercan Suleyman Demirel University, Medicine Faculty, Sports Medicine Department, Isparta, Turkey. Turkey http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9500-698X
Tuba Ince parpucu Suleyman Demirel University, Health Sciences Faculty, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, Isparta, Turkey. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5619-4284

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24310/JPEHMjpehm.v2i1.6770

Keywords:

Academic achievement, physical fitness, university student, gender, exercise, smoking.

Abstract

Introduction: There are a few number of studies that have examined the effect of the level of physical fitness on academic success in university students. Goals: The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between physical fitness and academic success in university students. Material and methods: The study included 183 university students. To determine physical fitness, Fitnessgram test battery was used. The students were grouped in respect of academic success status according to general academic marks. Results: Academic success was evaluated as low in 16.1% (n:15) of females, moderate in 38.7% (n:36) and high in 45.2%(n:42), and in male students a low level was determined in 18.9% (n:17), moderate in 52.2% (n:47) and high in 28.9% (n:26). Smoking cigarettes was seen to have created a difference in females with low academic success (p<.05). A difference was determined between the low and high academic success groups of both genders in respect of physical fitness (p<.05). In the physical fitness tests, a relationship was seen with the mean general academic points in all students, with exception of body mass index (BMI), a relationship was determined between other parameters and academic success (p<.05). Conclusions: High level of physical fitness provides positive contributions to academic success. No relationship was determined between BMI in females and mean general academic points. In females with a low level of academic success, the rate of cigarette smoking was higher.

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