Levels of Physical Activity and Prevalence of Obesity among Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students in Navi Mumbai: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair
health. A steadily increasing trend of obesity among young adults, especially college and university students,
is becoming more evident. Weight gain and drop of physical activity during early adulthood can increase the
risk of chronic medical conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the physical activity levels and the
prevalence of overweight and obesity among undergraduate physiotherapy students in Navi Mumbai.Method :
176 undergraduate physiotherapy students will be asked to fill the IPAQ form to evaluate their physical activity
levels, and their weight and height will be measured to calculate BMI.Results : 29% of participants reported
high level of activity (50 out of 176); 48% reported moderate physical activity (85 out of 176); 23% of participants
reported low physical activity (41 out of 176). The distribution of different categories of BMI revealed that 18% and
6% were classified as obese1 and obese2 respectively. 17% are at risk of obesity.