Physical Fitness of College Students in China: Evidence Mapping and Gap Analysis through a Scoping Review

The physical fitness of Chinese college students has always been a key concern of the Government of China, especially due to the consistent decline in recent years, prompting an urgent need for affirmative actions to mitigate this situation. Thus, this scoping review aims to systematically appraise existing evidence regarding the current physical fitness status of college students in China. A systematic search was conducted on the physical fitness of Chinese college students in three databases (PudMed, Scopus and WoS), including 34 articles that evaluated one or more health-related physical fitness components to summarise the current physical fitness status among Chinese college students. Existing research indicates that the physical fitness status of Chinese college students is relatively poor, such as college students’ body mass index falls within the normal range, however, normal weight obesity (NWO) is prevalent. Students with NWO show excessive body fat percentage and insufficient skeletal muscle mass, reflecting the condition of “normal weight but high body fat and low muscle mass”. Most students exhibit cardiorespiratory fitness at a passing level, with relatively few reaching the excellent standard, and a certain proportion remaining below the passing threshold. According to all the 34 articles, eight major factors influence the physical fitness of college students, with lack of exercise identified as the primary factor. Current research on health-related physical fitness among Chinese college students remains limited. Future studies should improve methodological rigor, data timeliness and research depth to provide more robust scientific evidence for policy development and practical interventions.