Factors influencing on Body Mass Index (BMI) level among UiTM Seremban 3 students / Nurakma Nabila Muhamad Mahiyuddin, Muhammad Aniq Herman Mohd Salim and Nurain Abu Bakar

Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world, it is declared as a global problem. A person with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more is generally considered obese and a person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight. Studies have also shown that the prevalence of obesity among women was higher than men. Hence it is necessary to know about the factors that may contribute to body mass index (BMI) level and the level of knowledge regarding body mass index (BMI). The objectives of this study are to determine the level of knowledge regarding BMI among UiTM Seremban 3 students and to determine the significant factors that contributed to BMI among UiTM Seremban 3 students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 400 students out of which 379 students participated (response rate: 94.75 percent) using a direct questionnaire with information related to socio-demographic details, level of knowledge regarding body mass index (BMI), and perceived barriers to engaging in physical activity. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were done using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. The level of knowledge regarding BMI among UiTM Seremban 3 students is high, with the total score of Yes for all questions 84.3 percent while the total score of No for all questions is 15.7 percent. It was found that gender, lack of enjoyment and lack of energy were factors significantly associated with body mass index (BMI). Though factors like gender, age, ethnicity cannot be altered, the factors that influence body mass index (BMI) level can be changed by early intervention so that comprise on normal categories to achieve a healthy and long life.