Comparative Assessment of Morphological, Functional, and Fitness Profiles Among Vietnamese Undergraduates Relative to National MOET Standards

Abstract

Background: Standardized fitness benchmarks by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) prescribe pass criteria across five domains—handgrip strength, standing long jump, 30 m sprint, 30 s sit-ups, and 5-minute run—for 18-year-olds. However, comparative data across academic disciplines are scarce. Purpose: To evaluate and compare morphological, functional, and physical fitness characteristics of first-year students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (UTP) and University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH), and to determine compliance rates with MOET standards. Methods: Eighty-three UTP (59 M, 24 F) and 81 USSH (26 M, 55 F) students underwent anthropometry (height, weight, BMI), baseline cardiorespiratory assessments (vital capacity, resting heart rate), and fitness tests: handgrip strength, standing long jump, 30 m sprint, sit-ups/30 s, and 5-minute run. Results: Anthropometric and baseline cardiorespiratory profiles were similar across cohorts. UTP students exhibited marginally superior handgrip strength (male: 37.4 ± 6.4 kg vs. 34.1 ± 5.3 kg; female: 25.1 ± 4.4 kg vs. 23.7 ± 3.6 kg) and aerobic capacity (male: 889.2 ± 117.3 m vs. 720.2 ± 121.1 m; female: 782.3 ± 70.7 m vs. 630.6 ± 94.8 m). Universal pass rates were observed in standing long jump (>100 %) while 4×10 m shuttle runs yielded the lowest compliance (12.5 %–87.5 %). Overall MOET pass rates were higher in USSH (male: 96.2 %; female: 98.2 %) than in UTP (male: 66.1 %; female: 87.5 %). Conclusions: Despite comparable baseline profiles, UTP and USSH undergraduates display domain-specific strengths and deficits relative to MOET standards, notably in agility and endurance. These findings underscore the need for tailored physical education interventions to enhance student fitness.