Relationship between Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Respiratory Indices among Male Students of University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

The prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary dysfunction is increasing the world over. Some reports have demonstrated the interplay between these three factors. This study therefore assessed the relationship between body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and some respiratory indices among the younger population of a Nigerian University community. A total of 382 male students of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria were assessed in this study. Body weight, height, BMI, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), rate of respiration (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were assessed using standard methods. Three hundred and fifty students met the inclusion criteria. Individuals aged 26 30 years had significantly higher (p