Study of overweight and obesity in students of the Technical University of Machala

Abstract

The objective of the research is to identify the behavior of body weight in the practice of
physical activities and its effectiveness in students with a body mass index (BMI) classified
above normal. Was developed at the Technical University of Machala with a transversal design
and is of a quantitative descriptive type. We worked with 232 students from the Machala
Technical University distributed in 28 university degrees with representation of the 10
semesters. These were randomly selected. The tests used to determine weight and height were
the conventional ones through the use of medical scales and the height rod. In determining the
BMI, the formula that calculates the quotient between the weight in kilograms and the square of
the height in meters was applied. Data processing was developed through frequency analysis,
the use of descriptive statistics of position and dispersion, correlation statistics (Kendall's
Tau_b) and non-parametric contrast for vertical comparisons (U of Mann Whitney and Kruskal-
Wallis) with a significance level of 0.05. In overweight subjects, there is a similar female-tomale
ratio. The study identified a male predominance in subjects with type I and type II obesity.
In the case of type III obesity, they are mostly female. There is a limited incidence of the
frequency of physical activity in BMI.