STUDY OF WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX AND DEVIATION FROM NORMAL WEIGHT OF MBBS STUDENTS AT MIMS MEDICAL COLLEGE, NELLIMARLA

Background: Weight is an important measure of nutritional status of an individual. Disturbances of weight specifically: overweight and obesity are emerging as a public health problem in many developing countries over the recent few years. India is facing a twin trouble of existing underweight on one hand and emerging overweight on the other. Medical students are at risk of such weight disturbances due to the lifestyles, dietary pattern and associated stress.

Objectives: (1) To study the weight, BMI and detect deviation from normal weight in form of occurrence of underweight, overweight and obesity among MBBS students, and (2) To study influence of probable risk factors on weight and thus BMI.

Methodology: It was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted among MBBS students of different years studying at Maharajah’s Institute of Medical sciences (MIMS) medical college, Nellimarla. Weight and height of study participants were recorded. The predesigned questionnaire consisted of close ended questions related to demographic details and other lifestyle associated habits of study participants. BMI was calculated and students were grouped into normal weight, underweight, overweight and obesity. Further, the various factors influencing weight were analyzed.

Results: Of the 263 study participants included in study, 91 were male students and remaining 172 were female students. Students who were underweight with a BMI <18.5 were 54 (20.5%), normal weight with BMI 18.5- 24.9 were 168 (63.9%) and remaining 41 (15.6%) were overweight and obese with BMI >25. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean BMI of underweight, normal weight and overweight students. Factors such had eating junk foods; physical exercise had a significant association.

Conclusion: Deviation from normal weight was observed in more than 36% of the students. This points towards the need of introducing regular physical exercise and regular diet habits in them.