Abstract:
Calculating the Body mass index (BMI) can raise awareness among undergraduates
about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. It can be helpful in
understanding the relationship between their weight and overall health, encouraging
them to adopt healthy habits and instrumental in assisting them make informed
choices about their lifestyles. The study aimed at determining the relationship
between BMI and gender differentiation, academic performance, activity level,
socioeconomic factors, health conditions, and age in university students at the Faculty
of Technology, University of Ruhuna. A structured questionnaire was delivered using
both online and physical methods. Among 250 students that completed the survey,
138 respondents (55.2%) were female and 112 (44.8%) were male. The BMI was
calculated based on students' weight and height, while academic performance was
determined by students' cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). According to the
results of the analysis, there was a significant difference (p=0.020) between BMI and
gender and also between BMI and age (p=0.034). There is a significant association
between BMI with that of both gender and age (p<0.05). According to the results
obtained from the survey there is no any significant difference between BMI and
(p=0.201) academic performance, (p=0.178) activity level, health conditions
(p=0.150) and socioeconomic factors (p=0.891). These findings infer the importance
of studying BMI and associated factors and future research should be conducted in
the university level.
