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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the

physical fitness of students.

Gender Difference

According to the study of Alkhateeb et al. (2019) entitled

“Pattern of Physical Exercise Practice Among University Students

in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” women are less likely to do

physical activities than men. Moreover, it was found that the most

reason for not exercising is time restrictions, while the most reason

for exercising is to improve body shape.

The study is related to the present study as it looked into the

physical activity of students. What differentiates it from the

present study is the aim of the study which is determining the

pattern of students’ physical exercise practices in the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia, while the present study aims to look into the

physical fitness of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alkhateeb et al. (2019) was supported by the study of Griban

et al. (2020) entitled “Dynamics of the Students’ Physical Fitness

While Studying at Higher Educational Institutions” where data

showed that the physical fitness level of male students was better
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than female students. But, in general, both female and male

students have a very low state of physical fitness.

The study is related to the present study as it dealt with the

physical fitness of students. But, the participant of the study,

which are Ukraine students differs from the participants of the

present study, which are Filipino students.

Physical Fitness Level

Andres (2017) used the four (4) physical qualities (strength,

quickness, dexterity or endurance) in his study entitled “Physical

Education of Students, considering their Physical Fitness Level” to

identify the physical fitness level of students. The result of the

study showed that students are at the lowest level when it comes

to arm strength, and relatively higher level in 1000 meters run.

The study of Andres (2017) has a relation to the present

study because it looks into the physical fitness level of students.

What makes it different from the present study is that it used the

four (4) physical qualities (strength, quickness, dexterity or

endurance) to identify the physical fitness level of students, while

the present study used the five (5) health-related fitness

components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength,

muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition).

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Fotynyuk (2017) found out in his study entitled

“Determination of First Year Students’ Physical Condition and

Physical fitness Level” that 14% of students had body mass deficit

or excessive mass. Results also showed that students have low

level of physical fitness.

The study of Fotynyuk (2017) is related to the present study

as it dealt with the physical fitness of the students. Furthermore, it

gathers data to identify the level of physical fitness of students and

this will also be done by the present study. The only difference is

that it used physical activities that are more on cardiovascular

endurance to identify the level of physical fitness of students, while

the present study will utilize five (5) physical fitness test,

cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular

endurance, flexibility, and body composition activity.

According to Akyol and Sogut (2018),

In the study of Sahin et al. (2019), it was reported that male

who have high level of physical fitness are more energetic and have

a better quality of life. Also, females who have high physical fitness

level are more social and live a better quality of life as well.

The study is related to the present study since it investigates

the physical fitness of students. What makes it different from the

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present study is that its aim is to investigate the quality of life of

students giving consideration to their physical fitness level, while

the present study aims to investigate the physical fitness of

students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fisher et al. (2019) found out in their study entitled

“Happiness and physical activity levels of first year medical

students studying in Cyprus” that happy females perform a higher

level of physical activity, but not males.

The study is related to the present study as it deals with the

physical activity level of students. What differentiate it from the

present study is that its participants are medical students and it

focused only on the correlation between happiness and level of

physical activity. The present study will have Old Sudipen National

High School students as the participants and identify their

physical fitness level by utilizing the five (5) health related fitness

components which are Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular

Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition.

Liskustyawati et al. (2020) determined the level of physical

fitness and the body mass index of older people aged 60 to 80

years in their study with 123 elderly participants. The result

showed that the level of physical fitness of the elderly according to

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the Rock Port test of the 103 participants was sufficient, while the

level of physical fitness of the remaining 20 participants was not

sufficient.

The study is related to the present study because it explored

the level of physical fitness of the study’s participants. The only

difference is that the study’s participants were elderly, while the

present study will have students as its participants.

In the study of Griban et al. (2020) entitled “Physical Fitness

Level of Students of Higher Educational Institutions from a

Historical Perspective,” they found that low physical fitness level of

students dates back to Soviet times. The worst level of students’

physical fitness was found in 2018 to 2019. the worst level of

physical activity was found in the endurance (the 3000 m and

2000 m run) and power exercises (pull-ups and push-ups).

The study is related to the present study as it investigates

the physical fitness level of students. The only difference is that it

investigated the level of physical fitness of students from historical

perspective, while the present study will investigate the level of

physical fitness of students from new perspective.

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Pinho et al. (2020) found out in their study entitled “The

effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on levels of physical fitness,”

and the study of Xia et al. (2021) entitles “The Physical Fitness of

College Students Before and After Web-Based Physical Education

During the COVID-19 Pandemic” found that there was a reduction

or decline in the level of physical fitness and physical inactivity has

increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study of Pinho et al. (2020) and Xia et al. (2021) are

related to the present study as it discussed physical fitness. But

the study of Pinho et al. (2020) differs from the present study

because it discussed only the effects of COVID-19 on the physical

fitness level of participants, while the present study prepared

physical activities that will help in identifying the physical fitness

level of the participants. On the other hand, the study of Xia et al.

(2021) aimed to compare the data of physical fitness of college

students before and after web-based physical education, while the

present study aims to identify the physical fitness of students

during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying their physical

fitness level in terms of the five (5) health-related fitness

components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength,

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muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition) and the

physical activities that the participants do.

Valenciano et al. (2021) stated is their study entitled “Impact

of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students' Physical Activity

Levels: An Early Systematic Review” that nine (9) out of the ten (10)

studies that they have chosen for their systematic review showed a

significant decrease in physical activity levels during the lockdown

caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study review aimed to

analyze if PA levels of university students changed during the

lockdown in different countries.

The study is related to the present study as it discussed the

level of physical activity od students. what differentiates is from

the present study is the ways on gathering data for the study.

Valenciano et al. (2021) used previous studies data to complete

their study, while the present study will have the researchers for

the present study to gather data from the participants.

Cardiovascular Endurance

In the study entitled “Differences in Cardiovascular Fitness

of Italian High-School Adolescents According to Different Physical

Activity Levels Assessed by IPAQ-A” by Piccino and Colella (2017),

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results showed that males have higher level of cardiovascular

endurance that females.

The study is related to the present study as it investigates

the cardiovascular endurance level of the participants. The only

difference is that it aimed to examine gender differences in

cardiovascular fitness according to different physical activity

categories, while the present study aimed to identify the physical

fitness level of students in terms of the five (5) health-related

fitness components (Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular

Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body

Composition).

Malshe and Gunjal (2021) concluded in their study entitled

“Assessment of Cardiovascular Fitness amongst College Students

Involved in Sport Activities and Dance” that students who are

involved in sport activities had a significantly good cardiovascular

fitness compared to students involved in dance who were found

out to have lower fitness level.

The study is related to the present study as it investigates

the physical fitness level of students. The only difference is that it

only discussed the cardiovascular fitness of students, while the

present study will discuss the five (5) health-related fitness

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components. In addition, the participants of the study are students

who are only involved in sport activities and dance, while the

present study will have students involved in any field that interests

them.

In the study of Bueno et al. (2021), they found that during

the COVID-19 confinement the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max)

for the whole sample is small. Specifically, females have presented

statistically significant reductions in their VO 2 max, while males

improved their VO2 max after the confinement.

The study is related to the present study because it

investigated the cardiovascular fitness of the participants. the only

difference is that the study of Bueno et al (2021) and the present

study used different approaches to investigate the cardiovascular

fitness/endurance of the participants. The study of Bueno et al.

(2021) used the level of VO2 max and measured it by the 20-m

shuttle run test to identify the cardiovascular fitness of

participants, while the present study will identify the level of

cardiovascular endurance of participants using the 3-minute step

up test.

Muscular Strength

Muscular Endurance
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Novac et al. (2015) found out in their study entitled

“Comparison of Fitness Levels between Croatian and Lithuanian

Students” that males attained better results in tests of power and

muscular endurance, while females are more flexible. It also stated

that gender differences between men and women means difference

also in body composition.

The study is related to the present study as it discusses the

physical fitness of students in terms of their flexibility, muscular

endurance, and power. What makes it different is that it concerns

only the flexibility, muscular endurance, and power while the

present study will discuss the five (5) health-related fitness

components which are Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular

Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition.

Flexibility

According to Narayan and Mehrotra (2019), Calisthenic

exercise and yoga improved muscle tone and stretched the

muscles. The students who performed these exercises have

resulted into better and improved flexibility of the students.

The study is related to the present study as it discussed

about the health-related fitness component flexibility of students.

What makes it different from the present study is that it only has
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males as the participants for the study, while the present study

will have both gender as its participants. Moreover, the present

study will discuss the level of physical fitness of students in terms

of the five (5) health-related fitness components (Cardiovascular

Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility,

and Body Composition), while the study of Narayan and Mehrotra

(2019) discussed students’ flexibility only.

Body Composition

In the study entitled “Changes in Weight and Body

Composition Across Five Years at University: A Prospective

Observational Study” of Deliens et al. (2019), result showed that a

great change in body composition were found during the first

semester and during the final year of university. Stronger increase

in weight and body mass index (BMI) were found in males.

Suchlike, waist circumference increased more in males than in

females. In contrary, females showed higher increase in fat% than

males.

The study has a relation on the present study for it is about

the body composition of students. But what made it different from

the present study is that it only explored the weight changes and

BMI of the students while the present study will explore the five (5)
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health-related fitness components which are Cardiovascular

Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility,

and Body Composition.

Jalal et al. (2021) studied the BMI of students during

COVID-19 lockdown and it was found that 32% of the participants

increased their weight, 22% lost their weight and 46% maintained

the same weight during COVID-19 lockdown. The physical activity

of the students significantly decreased and sedentary time

increased.

The study of Jalal et al. (2021) is related to the present study

as it dealt with the BMI of students which is the determining factor

for health-related fitness component body composition which will

also be discussed in the study. The only difference is that it only

looked into the BMI of the students, while the present study will

look into the other health-related fitness components.

It was found in the study of Jia et al. (2021) entitled “Impact

of COVID-19 Lockdown on Activity Patterns and Weight Status

Among Youths in China: The COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle

Change Survey (COINLICS),” that high school students have the

highest BMI (22.7 ± 6.7 kg/m2) and the highest prevalence of

overweight/obesity (26.7%) and obesity (16.1%).

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The study is related to the present study because it dealt

with the BMI of students which is the determining factor for

health-related fitness component body composition. What makes it

different from the present study is that the it took place in China,

while the present study will take place in the Philippines.

Physical Activity

In the study of Vaara et al. (2019) entitled “Awareness and

Knowledge of Physical Activity Recommendations in Young Adult

Men,” awareness and knowledge of physical activity

recommendation guidelines were assessed by questionnaires and

physical fitness was measured. Result showed that the

participants with awareness and knowledge on the physical

activity recommendations had higher level of cardiovascular

endurance and muscular fitness.

The study is related to the present study as it dealt with the

physical fitness of the participants. The only difference is that it

aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge on the physical

activity recommendations of the participants, while the present

study aims to aims to look into the physical fitness of students

during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying their physical

fitness level in terms of the five (5) health-related fitness

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components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength,

muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition) and the

physical activities that the participants do.

According to research done in the United Kingdom, at the

start of COVID-19, 75% of participants had sufficient physical

activity, and the mean number of minutes of moderate-to-vigorous

physical activity increased for all adult age groups (Smith et al.,

2020).

The study of Smith et al. (2020) is related to the present

study as investigates the students’ physical activity during the

COVID-19 pandemic. What makes it different to the present study

is that, the investigation took place in the United Kingdom while

the present study will be done in the Philippines.

In the study of Blanco et al. (2020) entitled “Physical Activity

and Sedentary Lifestyle in University Students: Changes during

Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” result showed that

the time spend of participants in physical activities increased

significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blanco et al. (2020)

stated that some researchers believed that lockdown caused by the

pandemic would causes inactivity. But in their study, sitting time

increase, but unexpectedly, the amount of time spent doing

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physical activity and the number of days on which participants

were active increase as well.

The study is related to the present study because it explored

the physical activity of students during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The only difference is that it only discussed the physical activity of

the students, while the present study will explore the physical

activity of students as well as their physical fitness level.

Dunton et al. (2020) studied the effect of the COVID-19

pandemic on the physical activity of students. They found out that

the most frequent physical activities that students do during the

pandemic were free play or unstructured activity (e.g., running

around, tag, other active games) as well as biking and going for a

walk. Despite that, students spent the most of their time watching

television, videos, and movies, and other leisure activities. They

discussed that during the pandemic, students spent most of their

time doing unhealthy activities instead of physical activities.

The study is related to the present study as it discusses the

physical activities of students and how the pandemic affects the

physical activities of students. The only difference is that it does

not include physical fitness level of students in the discussion

while the present study does.

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Heisz et al. (2021) found in their study that the participants

reduced their aerobic activity and strength training by an average

of 22 and 32 minutes per week, respectively, compared with 6

months before the pandemic. The study of Heisz et al. (2021) also

found the barriers to exercise wherein lack of place to exercise

received the highest score from the participants.

The study is related to the present study as it dealt with the

physical activity of the participants. But it is different from the

present study because it also discussed the barriers of physical

activity, the present study does not. Furthermore, the present

study will study the physical fitness of the participants with the

five (5) health-related fitness components, the study of Heisz et al.

(2021) does not.

Parisi (2021) found in his study that overall, physical

activity, domestic physical activity, and leisure physical activity

have all statistically increased since the onset of the COVID-19

pandemic.

The study is related to the present study as it dealt with the

physical activity of students. What differentiates it from the

present study is that it the data for the physical activity of

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students were self-reported by them and physical fitness level of

students was not investigated, while the present study prepared

five (5) types of physical activities that will be used to test the

physical fitness level of the students.

In the study of Roe et al. (2021) entitled “The Impact of

COVID-19 and Homeschooling on Students’ Engagement with

Physical Activity,” results showed that 23% of the participants

spend less than 15 minutes on physical activities and 18% spend

more than 60 minutes on doing physical activities.

The study is related to the present study because it

investigates the physical activity of students. what makes it

different from the present study is that it explores on the effects of

COVID-19 on the physical activity of the students, while the

present study will explore the physical fitness level and the

physical activities that students do.

Laura et al. (2021) reported in their study entitled “Health-

Related Physical Fitness and Activity in Homeschool: A Systematic

Review with Implications for Return to Public School” that

cardiovascular endurance tests were unpredictable. Homeschool

students had significantly poorer abdominal muscular strength

and endurance, but not upper body muscular strength and

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endurance. Flexibility was not mentioned in the investigation. The

body composition of homeschool students was generally healthy,

and no differences in physical activity were identified.

The study is related to the present study as it discussed the

five (5) health-related fitness components of the students. The only

difference is that it did not identify the level of physical fitness of

the students while the present study does.