Association between body mass index (BMI) and vital capacity of college students of Zhuang nationality in China: a cross-section study

// Peng Liu 1, * , Ziliang Ye 2, * , Haili Lu 2 , Jingjing Lu 2 , Liqian Huang 2 , Jiangu Gong 1 , Qiongying Deng 1 and Lin Xu 1 1 Department of Anatomy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China 2 Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Peng Liu, email: drrliupeng@163.com Keywords: body mass index, vital capacity, college students, Zhuang nationality, China Received: June 08, 2017      Accepted: August 07, 2017      Published: September 08, 2017 ABSTRACT Objective: Our study is to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and vital capacity of college students of Zhuang Nationality in China. Methods: 463 college students of Zhuang Nationality from Guangxi Medical University were selected. Basic information, body composition and vital capacity of college students were measured. According to the level of BMI, college students were divided into four groups (BMI<18.5, 18.5≤BMI<23.9, 23.9≤BMI<27.9 and BMI≥27.9). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between BMI and vital capacity. Results: In male college students, there was no significant difference in vital capacity between the four groups (3029.54±869.25, 3347.06±784.54, 3540.00±805.35 and 3966.50±350.2, P=0.0727, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, no significant association was observed between BMI and vital capacity (OR=115.02, 95% CI: -555.58~785.63; OR=-166.58, 95% CI: -1684.56~1351.41; OR=-484.01, 95% CI:-3504.53, 2536.51, respectively. BMI<18.5 group served as reference group). In female college students, there was also no significant difference in vital capacity between the four groups (2455.15±574.4, 2555.06±637.03, 2750.33±1224.05 and 2473.00±159.06, P=0.4011, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, no significant association was observed between BMI and vital capacity (OR=-88.88, 95% CI: -333.59~155.84; OR=20.00, 95% CI: -694.39~734.39; OR=2.86, 95% CI: -1830.58, 1836.3, respectively. BMI<18.5 group served as reference group). Conclusion: There was no evidence that BMI is associated with vital capacity in college students of Zhuang Nationality.