RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND BODY COMPOSITION OF A COHORT OF CLINICAL UNDERGRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

Abstract

Background of the study: Physical activity and healthy body composition are crucial for the overall health and well-being of students of healthcare professions, who are being trained as future advocates of healthcare.

Aim: This study investigated the relationship between Physical activity and body composition of final year clinical students of Basic Medical Sciences of the University of Benin, Nigeria.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 163 participants were recruited using consecutive sampling technique. The participants were drawn from departments in school of basic medical sciences including Physiotherapy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess physical activity levels, which were categorized as low, moderate, or high. Anthropometric measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, and hip circumference were taken to calculate body composition parameters such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR), and waist-to-stature ratio (WSR). Data was summarized using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages; and analyzed using inferential statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficients and chi-square. Level of significance was set at <0.05.

Results: Half (50.3%) of the participants had low physical activity levels, 24.5% had moderate levels, and 25.2% had high levels. Physical Activity levels had a significant negative correlation with BMI (r=-0.538, p<0.001) and weight (r=-0.390, p<0.001). A significant negative correlation was also found between physical activity levels and waist circumference (r=-0.158, p=0.04). However, no significant correlations were found between Physical activity levels and each of age and WHR. No significant (>0.05)  gender-based correlation was found between physical activity levels and body composition.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that physical activity is associated with improved body composition, particularly lower BMI, weight, and waist circumference, among final year clinical students of the University of Benin. Promoting physical activity programs and maintaining healthy body composition may be beneficial for this population of future healthcare professionals.