Self-Perceived versus Actual Physical Fitness Levels in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Gender, BMI, and Fitness Component Disparities

Background: Physical fitness refers to a state that enables a human being to perform daily activities of living without undue fatigue. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition are components that are associated with physical fitness. Evaluating the physical fitness of undergraduate physiotherapy students is essential because they are going to play a key role in health promotion. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to a decline in their physical fitness, making it crucial to assess their fitness levels. Objective: To determine the self-perceived and actual level of physical fitness of undergraduate physiotherapy students and the components that are associated with it. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey using purposive sampling technique was conducted in Riphah College of Rehabilitation Sciences Rawalpindi. A total of 400 subjects were included in the study. Sample size was calculated through Epitool which was 186. After obtaining consent from participants, data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which consist of 5 sections. Which Includes Demographic section, body mass index, International Fitness Scale, PAR Q+ and Fitness gram test. Data was entered and analysed by SPSS 21 by using descriptive analysis. Results: Mean age of participants in the study was 20.62 ± 1.95. IFIS results showed most students rated their fitness as average across all domains. Only 0.8% met the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) for aerobic capacity, while 99.3% fell below it. HFZ rates were 52.8% for BMI, 35.8% for abdominal strength, 67.0% for flexibility, 67.0% for trunk strength, and 63.2% for upper body strength. Gender was significantly associated with most fitness components (p < 0.05), while BMI showed selective associations, particularly with abdominal strength (p = 0.01) and overall fitness (p = 0.03). Conclusion: The study revealed a significant disparity between self-perceived and actual physical fitness levels among undergraduate physiotherapy students. While flexibility and upper body strength were satisfactory, cardiorespiratory endurance was critically low. Males outperform females in abdominal strength, flexibility, and upper body endurance. BMI was significantly associated with abdominal strength and flexibility. Keywords: BMI, Fitness Gram, Physical fitness, Physiotherapy