Investigating the Predictive Ability of Physical Activity and Body Mass Index on Academic Performance among University Health Science Students

Background: Academic success is a major concern for university students, and physical activity (PA) has been associated with improved cognitive function, concentration, and mood. Although prior studies have reported associations between PA and academic performance, these factors are often examined independently. In addition, higher body mass index (BMI) has been linked to poorer academic outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether PA and BMI independently predict academic performance among university health science students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia, involving 202 undergraduate health science students. PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form, and academic performance was measured using cumulative grade point average (CGPA), CGPA was dichotomised at 3.0 to reflect institutional academic performance benchmarks. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the predictive value of PA (METs) and BMI on academic performance. Results: PA did not significantly predict academic performance (p>0.05). In contrast, BMI demonstrated a statistically significant negative association with academic performance (β = −0.100, p<0.05). Each unit increase in BMI reduced the odds of attaining good academic performance by a factor of 0.905. Conclusion: BMI emerged as a significant negative predictor of academic performance, whereas PA measured by METs was not a significant predictor. Measurement limitations and unmeasured confounders may partly explain the null findings for PA.