Relationship between blood pressure and body composition of male and female faculties of Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between blood pressure and body composition of male and female faculties of Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur, C.G. It was not very clear how blood pressure was affected by such factors as body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and percent body fat. To this study was formulated for testing. In this study population consists of 202 male and 63 female faculties of GGV University, Bilaspur (C.G) in 2016-2017 academic session. The male faculties average age was 39.47 years and female faculties average age was 37.70 years.. The Omron digital blood pressure monitor, a flexible measuring tape, digital weighing scale, stadiometer and Harpenden skinfold calliper were used to collect data on blood pressure, waist and hip circumferences, body weight, height and three skinfolds from both genders respectively. While waist to hip ratio and body mass index were determined, percent body fat was calculated from total skinfolds and gender specific body density formula. The data was imputed into the system and was analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (SPSS 16 for Windows) to determine relationship between the variables at 0.05 level of significant. Major findings of the study revealed that: relationship between systolic and diastolic blood pressures was positively significant among the male and female faculties in this study; relationship between systolic blood pressure and body mass index was positively significant among the male and female faculties in this study; relationship between diastolic blood pressure and body mass index was positively significant among the male and female faculties in this study and relationship between waist circumference and body mass index was positively significant among the male and female faculties in this study. The relationship between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure was positively significant with waist circumference, percent body fat and waist-to hip ratio of the male and female faculties in this study. On the basis of these findings, it was therefore recommended that since high blood pressure is a silent killer disease; adults should be encouraged to participate in at least moderate intensity physical activity three to five times per week throughout life.