Factors affecting on the BMI of the students In the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a good indicator that indicates the physical fitness of an individual, is a surrogate measure of adipose but does not distinguish fat from lean or bone mass. In the case of undergraduates, it is important to maintain a good mental as well as physical health status in order to perform well in their studies. The aim of our study was to identify the factors that affect on the BMI of the students, University of Jaffna and to find the best multiple linear regression model. In this study, the association of the body mass index (dependent variable) and the 10 demographic and socio economic variables (independent variables) has been illuminated with the usage of cross sectional data collected from randomly selected 120 undergraduates in the University of Jaffna. In this research, a multiple linear regression model has been used to identify the factors affecting the BMI of the students in the University of Jaffna. Furthermore, forward selection, backward elimination and step wise regression methods have been used to select the best multiple linear regression model. In this study, Expenditure of a student per month, Fish meat consumption per month, Number of time of instant food consumption's per week, Lecture hours per week and Standing time per day were significant with BMI. The first three variables mentioned above have shown a positive association with the BMI while the rest has shown a negative association