Aptidão física relacionada a saúde de universitários brasileiros: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to identify the level of health-related physical fitness (HRPF) among Brazilian university students, as well as to analyze the differences in physical fitness between sexes, assess potential changes during academic training, and identify which HRPF components are most frequently evaluated. This is a systematic literature review, with searches conducted in the SciELO, Virtual Health Library, and Google Scholar databases. Original articles that assessed the HRPF of Brazilian university students were included, while studies that did not address health-related physical fitness components, dissertations, theses, and research involving students outside of Brazil were excluded. The selection resulted in nine articles, with a total sample of 2,055 students, of which 48.37% were men and 51.63% were women. The results indicated that most Brazilian university students have low levels of HRPF, with few reaching the recommended levels for all components. Men exhibited higher HRPF levels. Among the HRPF components, flexibility and muscular endurance were the most frequently evaluated, appearing in all the analyzed studies. Body composition, cardiorespiratory capacity, and strength were assessed in most studies. Regarding changes during academic training, the need for longitudinal studies was identified to better understand the alterations in HRPF throughout this period. Thus, it is concluded that it is necessary to encourage the practice of physical exercise among university students, as male students are more physically active than female students, and body composition and neuromuscular tests are the most commonly conducted assessments.