A Study of Health-Related Physical Fitness for Students of Rangsit University

Abstract

             This research aims to study physical fitness for health and establish normal criteria for undergraduate students of Rangsit University for the academic year 2020. The sample groups were students enrolled in Physical Education and Recreation courses of the academic year 2020. There were 350 students, consisting of 175 males and 175 females, obtained by simple random sampling. The instrument was the Physical Best which is a physical fitness test, created by AAHPERD (the American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation & Dance) consisted of three tests: one mile walk/run, sit and reach, Body Mass Index (BMI), and KASETSART Youth Fitness Tests for health consisted of 2 lists: sit-ups 60 seconds, and push-ups 30 seconds. The data analysis was analyzed by finding the mean (M), standard deviation (S.D.), and establishing physical fitness criteria for health using a standard Z-Score.

               The results showed that the Body Mass Index (BMI) of Rangsit University students, males, and females, was found to be in normal conditions. The push-ups 30 seconds program found that male students and female students were on the neutral scale. While sit and reach program found that male students were on the neutral scale and female students were in low scale. The sit-ups 60 seconds program found that male students were on the neutral scale and female students were on the low scale. The one mile walk/run program found that male and female students were on the neutral scale compared to benchmarks.

               From this study, the physical fitness criteria for the health of students of Rangsit University were determined that the male students were in the neutral scale and the female students were in the low scale. That means male students had physically better than female students. The male students with different ages (18 to 21 years old) on the body composition lists: push-ups 30 seconds and one mile walk/run, were significantly different at the 0.5 scale, while female students had only one item on the list: body proportions, were significantly different at the 0.5 scale.