K.M. Shalabi, Z.A. AlSharif, S.A. Alrowaishd, R.E. Al Ali

Rehabilitation Sciences Department, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. kmshalabi@pnu.edu.sa

OBJECTIVE: Physical fitness is seen to be a sign of overall health and happiness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between female Saudi student’s body mass index (BMI) and health-related physical fitness.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 48 participants (mean age=19.60 years) were chosen for this cross-sectional study design, and their BMI, health-related physical fitness and physical fitness testing were all analyzed (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition).

RESULTS: The physical activity score (total-MET)-minutes/week was 1,533.88. 18.8% of the participants were underweight, 52.1% were normal weight, 27.1% were overweight, and 2.1% were obese, as per BMI. The correlation between total-MET and other physical parameters revealed a statistically significant negative correlation with muscle strength (ϼ=-0.293, p=0.043), BMI (ϼ=-0.562, p=0.0001), waist circumference (ϼ=-0.524, p=0.0001), and fat mass index (FMI) (ϼ=-0.589, p=0.0001). The relationship between BMI and physical measurements was positively correlated with waist circumference (ϼ=0.877, p<0.0001), fat mass index (ϼ=0.944, p<0.0001), muscular strength (ϼ=0.501, p<0.0001), and curls per minute (ϼ=0.510, p<0.0001) in statistically significant ways. When total-MET was compared to BMI, age, waist circumference, fat mass index (FMI), and muscular strength, the regression was statistically significant (F=3.954, p=0.005). Age, waist size, activity level, fat mass index, muscular strength, and curls per minute all had a significant connection with BMI (F=106.26, p=0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Physical exercise may be related to changes in BMI. Physicians and other stakeholders putting forth strategies to increase physical activity and control weight may find the data useful.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

K.M. Shalabi, Z.A. AlSharif, S.A. Alrowaishd, R.E. Al Ali
Relationship between body mass index and health-related physical fitness: a cross-sectional study

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
Year: 2023
Vol. 27 - N. 20
Pages: 9540-9549
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202310_34127