ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2026
Association Between Body Mass Index and Physical Fitness Among University Students in a Sub-Plateau Region of Gansu Province, China: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
While the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and physical fitness in youth often follows an inverted U-shape, populations-based data from sub-plateau settings remain scarce. This study characterized the cross-sectional BMI-fitness association among 14,744 students (9931 females) at a single university in Gansu Province, China (altitude ~1483 m). Fitness was assessed across seven components (vital capacity, speed, power, flexibility, endurance, and muscular strength/endurance) and summarized as a standardized Physical Fitness Index (PFI). Overweight/obesity prevalence was 11.2% (males 18.3%, females 7.7%)-lower than the 14.0% national average for same-aged university students. BMI displayed a monotonic inverse association with PFI; underweight and normal-weight groups performed comparably, while overweight and obese groups showed progressively lower PFI, with a stronger association in males (β = -0.46) than females (β = -0.36). The weight-normalized vital capacity index (VCWI)-a derived indicator of pulmonary function-showed the strongest inverse correlation (males r = -0.47; females r = -0.40). Associations were most pronounced for VCWI and endurance, whereas flexibility exhibited a negligible BMI-related gradient. These findings describe a cohort-specific pattern, emphasizing the need for broader investigation of regional variations, and should not be interpreted as evidence of an altitude-mediated effect.
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