RESEARCH PAPER
ACCELEROMETER-DERIVED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH CORRELATES AMONG STUDENTS IN VISEGRAD GROUP COUNTRIES
1
John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska, Poland
2
University of Pécs, Hungary
3
Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia
4
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Submission date: 2025-11-25
Final revision date: 2025-12-03
Acceptance date: 2025-12-03
Publication date: 2025-12-09
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Currently, there is a limited amount of objective data concerning university students from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The aim of the present study was to analyze the level of physical activity assessed using accelerometers, along with an examination of its associations with selected health indicators.
Material and methods:
The study involved 197 students from V4 countries, who wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days. The recorded data were processed using established cut-off points for different intensities of physical activity.
Results:
The findings indicated that most students met the latest WHO guidelines for physical activity. Within the structure of daily physical activity, moderate-intensity activity predominated (Mdn = 41 min/day), while the proportion of vigorous-intensity efforts was small (Mdn = 1 min/day). Comparative analysis revealed statistically significant differences between countries (p<0.05), indicating diverse activity patterns among the studied youth. Correlations between physical activity levels and self-rated health and BMI were weak or moderate.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that the mere number of minutes spent in MVPA does not fully reflect the health-promoting potential of students’ physical activity. The study also highlights the need for longitudinal research to determine whether the observed movement behavior profiles persist into later adulthood and how they impact health.
Currently, there is a limited amount of objective data concerning university students from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The aim of the present study was to analyze the level of physical activity assessed using accelerometers, along with an examination of its associations with selected health indicators.
Material and methods:
The study involved 197 students from V4 countries, who wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days. The recorded data were processed using established cut-off points for different intensities of physical activity.
Results:
The findings indicated that most students met the latest WHO guidelines for physical activity. Within the structure of daily physical activity, moderate-intensity activity predominated (Mdn = 41 min/day), while the proportion of vigorous-intensity efforts was small (Mdn = 1 min/day). Comparative analysis revealed statistically significant differences between countries (p<0.05), indicating diverse activity patterns among the studied youth. Correlations between physical activity levels and self-rated health and BMI were weak or moderate.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that the mere number of minutes spent in MVPA does not fully reflect the health-promoting potential of students’ physical activity. The study also highlights the need for longitudinal research to determine whether the observed movement behavior profiles persist into later adulthood and how they impact health.
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