Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: March | Volume: 13 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 195-201
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20230319
Body Mass Index Affects Physical Fitness, Academic Performance and Executive Functions in School Going Children - A Correlation Study
Dr Pooja Cheta1, Dr Rajesh Padnani2, Dr Grishma Zalavadiya3, Dr Hiral Vala4
1,3,4MPT scholars, S.Y. MPT, Shri K K Sheth Physiotherapy College, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
2Professor at Shri K K Sheth Physiotherapy College, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Corresponding Author: Dr Pooja Cheta
ABSTRACT
Background: Prevalence of obesity among 5- to 19-year-old Indian children, is 3.6 and 11.7%. Being an obese child increases the likelihood of being an obese adult and there by leading to obesity related complications. School going children are in an important age of cognitive and motor development. So, the study mainly aimed to find the correlation of physical fitness, executive functions and academic performance with body mass index in school going children.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was performed with 120 children with age group of 9 to 13 years. Height, weight, BMI was taken. 20 metre multistage fitness test was performed for physical fitness, trial making test for executive functions and academic performance scale for academic performance were taken.
Results: Data was analysed using Spearman correlation coefficient which showed that BMI had positive corelation with physical fitness and executive functions p value (<0.01) and not with academic performance.
Conclusion: Thus, result shows that good physical fitness is very important for better physical and mental growth especially for obese children and schools should include the fitness testing and physical activities as guided by the expert physiotherapist as the part of curriculum and simultaneously parental awareness for physical exercises should also be done to prevent their child form serious complications of obesity.
Key words: Academic performance, Body mass index, Executive functions, Obesity