Biomedicine

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: The study examined the relationship between physical activity levels (PAL) and various physiological health indicators among college students that may serve as predictors or barriers to physical activity, and can inform health promotion strategies within this demographic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on college students (n=202), measuring various physiological variables. Physical activity (PA) status was assessed using the PAL scores, employing International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short. Standardized instruments were used for measuring physicological variables. Analysis was done in SPSS which includes Perason's correlation and scattered plot. Subgroup analysis was done using stacked bar chart. Results: Most physiological parameters, such as height, weight, body surface area, pulse rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, exhibited very weak correlations with PAL scores. Body Mass Index (BMI) showed a notable/unique trend. Maximum percentage of overweight were found under low PAL category yet all obese class I and II, were associated with higher PAL scores. The individuals in higher health risk categories demonstrated reduced PAL. Gender-based analyses revealed no significant differences in the relationships. Based on healthy indicators, the recommended PAL score range for college students with healthy indicators is suggested to be 3,000-8,000 MET-minutes/week. Conclusion: The findings indicated minimal linear associations between most physiological health parameters and PAL among college students, with BMI and health risk categories showing some inverse relationships with PAL. These results highlighted the complexity of factors influencing PA in young adults and suggest that physiological metrics may have limited predictive value in this population