A Cross-Sectional Study of Physical Activity and Academic Performance Among Degree College Students in Davanagere

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) is defined as any bodily movement, produced by skeletal muscles, resulting in an energy expenditure above the basal level.¹ In addition, PA is a complex behavior typically described by four different dimensions: frequency, duration, intensity and type.² World health organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.³

Observational and clinical studies have reported that increased PA levels play a protective role against chronic diseases and improve cognitive function.²

However, a decrease in PA levels can affect normal body physiology, leading to poor health and an increased risk of early onset of chronic disease.^4,5 Student involvement in PA has been shown to improve self-concept, enhance cognition, increase arousal, reduce boredom and stress, stabilize mood, improve sleep, and increase attention span and concentration.⁶ It has been reported that PA activates brain by increasing levels of brain derived neurotrophic factors, enlarging hippocampus and enhancing cortical blood flow. These changes can stimulate learning, improve intelligence and reasoning abilities.^7,8 There is limited regional data linking physical activity and academic performance among college students in Davanagere. With rising sedentary lifestyles and academic stress, this study is essential for assessing the impact of physical activity on academic outcomes, guiding interventions to promote student well-being and enhancing academic achievement in this population.

Objectives

1. To assess the level of physical activity among degree college students.
2. To determine the correlation between physical activity and academic performance among degree college students in Davanagere.

Materials and Methods

Study design: Cross-sectional study

Study population: The study population comprised degree college students. Participants included in the study were individuals aged between 18 and 21 years who were willing to participate. Individuals who were ill at the time of data collection or absent during the study period were excluded.

Study period: Four months

Sampling technique: Convenience

Sample size estimation

Where:

• n = required sample size

• Z = Z-score for the desired confidence level (1.96 for 95% confidence)

• p = estimated prevalence of physical activity among college students (assumed to be 50% or 0.5 to ensure maximum sample size)

• d = margin of error (precision), typically set at 5% or 0.05

Substituting the values:

Thus, the minimum required sample size was estimated as 384 and was rounded off to 400.

Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Review Board to initiate the study, ensuring participant safety and adherence to research ethics. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to conducting interviews and physical examina tions, ensuring their voluntary participation in the study.

Study population and sampling

Four first-grade colleges were included in the study: Government First Grade College, ARG College, Millad College, and Manjunatha Degree College, offering courses like B.A, B.Com, and B.Sc.  A total of 100 students were selected from each college using convenience sampling, resulting in a total sample size of 400 students.

Data collection tools and variables

A pre-tested, pre-structured, and predesigned questionnaire was used for data gathering. It included items to gather sociodemographic information such as name, age, sex, caste, and socioeconomic status. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess physical activity levels. Academic achievement was measured based on the percentage scores obtained by students in their last semester exams. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from the recorded measurements of height and weight.

Analysis

Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 20. The results were presented as frequencies. Odds ratios and other appropriate statistical tests were applied as required.

Results

Table 1 shows the determinants of physical activity. Among 400 students, males were 147 (36.7%) and females were 253 (63.3%). The mean age was 20 ± 1.73 years, and the mean BMI was 20.3 ± 3.09 kg/ sq.m. Moderate physical activity was observed in 210 (52.5%) students, while 170 students (42.5%) reported low physical activity and 20 students (5%) engaged in high physical activity. The highest number of calories were expended during leisure-time physical activity, followed by domestic and gardening work, transport and the least in the work domain. No significant gender differences were observed across the different domains. The determinants of physical activity are presented in the table below.

Discussion

Physical exercise among college students has become a topic of growing interest, particularly regarding its impact on learning performance. A study by Nayak SB et al., reported that the majority of male students (81%) and female students (74%) engaged in physical activities. Notably, 34% of the males involved in high intensity physical activity, while 31% of the females engaged in moderate intensity activity. In addition, the students’ academic performance indicated that 55% achieved average marks and 28% achieved above-average marks, suggesting a potential positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance.⁹

In contrast to the findings of Nayak SB et al., our study observed a different trend. A higher proportion of female students (56.9%) were engaged in moderate physical activity, while a larger percentage of male students (51.0%) reported low levels of physical activity. Additionally, no statistically significant correlation was found between levels of physical activity and academic achievement in our study. These differences may be attributed to variations in geographical location, lifestyle factors, sample characteristics, or study design.

Also, in a study carried out by Krishnakumar Padmapriya et al., in Bangalore, 41.3% of students reported high levels of physical activity, while 43.2% and 15.4% exhibited moderate and low levels of physical activity, respectively. A significant majority were involved in work-related (84.6%) and transport-related (80.7%) physical activities. Additionally, 63.7% of total physical activity was attributed to domestic and gardening tasks, while 67.2% of students reported engaging in physical activity during leisure time.¹⁰

In comparison, our study showed that moderate physical activity was most prevalent, observed in 210 students (52.5%), followed by low physical activity in 170 students (42.5%), and high physical activity in 20 students (5%). The distribution of physical activity across domains also varied; the majority of calories were expended during leisure-time activities, followed by domestic and gardening work, transport-related activity, and the least in work-related domains. This disparity could be due to variations in urban and rural environments, academic loads, or cultural factors in daily activities.

Overall, findings from existing studies suggest that while physical activity is common among college students, the type, intensity, and its association with academic achievement differ markedly. Further research involving more diverse populations and employing objective assessments of both physical activity and academic achievement may be necessary to better understand these relationships.

Limitations

Firstly, convenient sampling was used in this study and secondly, the IPAQ questionnaire we used is a subjective assessment.

Conclusion

In our study, the overall practice of physical activity was good. A majority of students, 210 (52.5%) involved in moderate physical activity, while 170 students (42.5%) showed low activity levels and 20 students (5%) were involved in high physical activity. The highest number of calories were expended on leisure-time physical activity, followed by domestic and gardening work, transport related activity, and the least in the work domain

Recommendations

Engage in regular physical activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Incorporate muscle strengthening physical activities involving major muscle groups on two or more days per week.

Reduce sedentary time: Minimize the time spent on screen-based sedentary activities (e.g., TV, computer, cellular phones) and take regular short breaks from extended periods of sitting.

Encourage long-term habits: Emphasize developing habits early in life to sustain cardiovascular fitness, musculoskeletal strength, and mental health into older age.

Encourage fun activities: Encourage students to choose physical activities they enjoy (e.g., sports, dance, yoga, swimming) to promote compliance and long-term participation.

Students need to be educated regarding the potential of regular physical activity in preventing or delaying the development of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis in adulthood.

Conflict of Interest

Nil