Assessment of a physical education program on health-related fitness and selected biochemical variables of obese male university students

Background/Objective: Physical educators need to know the effect of a physical education program they have designed for their students. To the author's knowledge, no study has been conducted on the effect of a physical education program on obese university students. The aim of this study was to find the effects of a university-based Physical Education Course (PEC) on selected health-related fitness and biochemical variables of obese male orientation-year students of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Thirty five students (18-19 years) registered for the PEC. Each class was 70 minutes, done twice a week for eight weeks. Pre and post measurements were taken for body mass, standing long jump, 30 seconds sit up, sit and reach, 800 m run, fasting blood glucose and blood lipids. Data normality was determined with the Shapiro-Wilk Test. To compare pre and post data, paired t-test was used if normal, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test if non-normal. Findings: Twenty eight students (mean = 18.93 ± 0.26 years) successfully completed the program. There were significant improvements (p < 0.05) in all measured parameters. Applications/Improvements: Such findings can encourage obese university students to take their physical education courses seriously. Physical educators can also design programs with the aim of giving their students the benefits of physical exercise.