ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Longitudinal trajectories of physical fitness in Chinese college students: a multi-group latent growth curve analysis.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Physical fitness is widely regarded as an important indicator of overall health and functional capacity. However, cross-sectional studies consistently report declining fitness levels and rising overweight/obesity among college students. Longitudinal research tracking individual developmental trajectories remains scarce, and the "fat but fit paradox" is underexplored in this population. This study aimed to model 4-year trajectories of physical fitness indicators (PFI) across body mass index (BMI) categories, and to test the existence of the "fat but fit paradox". Methods: This study used de-identified, individual-level longitudinal data comprising four annual physical fitness assessments from 183,075 Han Chinese college students across 140 universities in Chengdu, China. MG-LGCMs were constructed to examine developmental trajectories of physical fitness indicators, with baseline BMI category as the grouping variable and gender as a covariate. Results: Results revealed significant heterogeneity across BMI categories. The normal-weight group exhibited the highest baseline fitness yet showed non-significant linear growth, whereas the obese group, despite the lowest baseline, demonstrated the fastest improvement. For gravity-dependent indicators-endurance running, pull-ups (males), and 1-minute sit-ups (females)-overweight and obese groups initially displayed a disadvantage but subsequently improved significantly faster. Absolute forced vital capacity followed a "fat but fit paradox," with higher-BMI groups maintaining superior score across 4 years. Flexibility consistently favored the normal-weight group. Gender significantly moderated both initial status and rate of change: males showed steeper acceleration across most motor domains, while females maintained baseline superiority in flexibility. Conclusion: These findings challenge uniform weight-centric assumptions about physical fitness. They highlight the need for trajectory-informed, intersectional intervention strategies in collegiate physical education and health promotion.
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