Relação entre nível de atividade física, aptidão física e índice acadêmico de universitários em São João dos Patos - MA.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between physical activity level, physical fitness, and academic performance among university students in São João dos Patos, Maranhão. The research was conducted with 52 Physical Education students at the Maranhão State University (UEMA) - São João dos Patos Campus. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, and followed by five stages. The first was sociodemographic characterization, followed by verification of anthropometric and body composition measurements. The fourth stage consisted of analysis of variance (ANOVA) (Welch and Fisher) and Pearson's correlation coefficient, and finally, the administration of the short version of the IPAQ questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients, which were used to assess the linear correlation between the physical activity level and academic performance measurements. The results indicated no significant correlation between physical activity level and academic performance. However, a positive association was identified between physical activity and push-up performance, as well as a strong correlation between muscle strength tests. The conclusion is that, although it does not influence academic performance, physical activity is related to better physical fitness levels. We suggest expanding future research with larger samples and more analytical variables