Author(s): Pramodkumar

Abstract:
The escalating global prevalence of obesity has become a significant public health concern with wide-ranging implications, including its potential influence on cognitive and academic performance. India is currently experiencing a rapid epidemiological transition, facing a rising burden of obesity, a trend evident even in semi-urban areas like Gundlupete, Karnataka. Despite a growing body of research on the link between excess weight and academic success, there is a notable research gap concerning high school boys in semi-urban Indian settings. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the relationship between obesity and academic achievement in this specific demographic. Methods: This quantitative study involved 313 male high school students (aged 14-16 years) from selected government and private schools in Gundlupete during the 2024-25 academic year. Obesity was assessed using Body Mass Index (BMI) derived from height and weight measurements. Academic achievement was quantified by the percentage of marks obtained from the students' previous academic year's official records. Data analysis employed Pearson's correlation, Chi-square tests, and one-way ANOVA, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: The findings revealed a statistically non-significant, very low positive correlation between BMI and academic marks (r = 0.031, p = 0.590). The study identified a significant prevalence of overweight (12.5%) and obesity (32.9%) within the sample, with a statistically significant difference in weight status distribution (chi^2 = 83.527, p<0.001). Academic grades also showed a significant difference in their frequency distribution (chi^2 = 201.67, p<0.001). Importantly, no significant association was found between weight statuses and academic grades (chi^2 = 11.094, p=0.350). However, a significant difference in mean academic achievement scores was observed across weight statuses (F = 3.126, p=0.045), with overweight students surprisingly exhibiting significantly higher mean scores. Conclusion: Contrary to some findings in the broader literature, this study indicates no statistically significant direct correlation or association between obesity (as measured by BMI) and academic achievement among high school boys in Gundlupete town. While differences in mean academic performance were noted across weight categories, obesity itself did not emerge as a significant independent predictor of academic success in this specific local context. These findings suggest that other complex individual, social, and environmental factors likely play a more dominant role in influencing academic outcomes for adolescents in this region. Further research, potentially incorporating longitudinal designs and a wider array of confounding variables, is recommended to fully elucidate this multifaceted relationship.

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