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THE BODY MASS INDEX (HEIGHT AND WEIGHT) OF STUDENTS IN HIGHER INSTITUTION.

1.0          INTRODUCTION

The body mass index (BMI) is the metric currently in use for defining anthropometric height/weight characteristics in adults and for classifying (categorizing) them into groups. The common interpretation is that it represents an index of an individual’s fatness. It also is widely used as a risk factor for the development of or the prevalence of several health issues. In addition, it is widely used in determining public health policies. The BMI has been useful in population based studies by virtue of its wide acceptance in defining Specific categories of body mass as a health issue. However, it is increasingly clear that BMI is a rather poor indicator of percent of body fat. Importantly, the BMI also does not capture information on the mass of fat in different body sites. The latter is related not only to untoward health issues but to social issues as well. Lastly, current evidence indicates there is a wide range of BMIs over which mortality risk is modest, and this is age related. Although a BMI determination reduces the effect of lower extremity length on the Wt/Ht ratio, whether one uses the BMI or merely the ratio of weight to height, the population distribution is still not Gaussian. That is, it is not symmetrical but is always skewed to the right, that is, toward a higher ratio of weight (body mass) to height.

The chapter includes an explanation on why this topic will be important, research problem, the purpose and significance and the specific research questions along with the limitations of the study.

• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The polytechnic is situated within Oko town in Orumba North Local Government of Anambra State. The kernel of what eventually became the polytechnic was the brain child of the Oko Progressive Union (OPU) greatly catalyzed by the patronage, resourcefulness and result oriented leadership of its pioneer chairman, a former Executive Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

At inception in 1979, the institution was approved by the Anambra State Government as a College of Arts and Science designed to prepare candidates for the General Certificate in Education (GCE) examination at both the ordinary and advanced levels.

On June 28, 1980, the institution was upgraded to College of Arts, Science and Technology, an elevation that made it more attractive to young school leavers who came in droves to seek the higher certificate which the College could then award.

The College was formalized as the Anambra State Polytechnic, Oko through Edict No. 12 of 1985, published as a supplement to the Anambra State of Nigeria Gazette No. 24, Volume 10 of June 27, 1984.

Finally, in 1993, the State Polytechnic was taken over by the Federal Government and was renamed Federal Polytechnic, Oko.

The institution is strategically located and surrounded by several centres of industries, commerce and diverse local crafts such as Awka (well known for blacksmith/iron works), Nnewi (Industry and technological products) and Onitsha and Aba (reputed for Commerce and Industries). The climatic condition of the host community, Ok ranges between 28 and 42 degrees centigrade. It is one of the fastest developing tertiary institutions in Nigeria with high futuristic disposition. It has functional memorandum of understanding with different universities within and outside the country. The Polytechnic has three campuses.

The main campus at Oko which occupies a total land area of 89 hectares, Ufuma campus: This occupies a total land area of 52 hectares and Atani campus: This occupies a total area of 40 hectares.

1.2            SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The broad objectives of this study id to assess the Body mass index (Height and weight) of students in higher institution. However, the specific objectives are to:

1. Describe the socio-economic characteristics of the students in the study areas.
2. Identify parental background and home-related issues of the respondent in the study area
3. Assess the effect of Body mass index on students
4. Examine the adequacy and functionalities of school facilities such as scale for measuring the weight in the study areas.
5. Identify various instructional materials used for the respondent in the study areas.
6. Assess the reading habits of the students in the study areas.
7. Examine students’ height and weight

1.3       AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this research is to study the Body mass index (Height and weight) of students in higher institution.

The objectives are:

• To show the descriptive pattern of the respondents opinion on Body mass index (BMI) using bar chart.
• To determine the frequency and percentage of respondents opinion on variable considered
• To test if one variable depend on another  e if the respondents opinion on Height depend on their opinion on weight using chi-square test of independence
• To test if there is linear relationship between them using correlation test of linear relationship.

1.4       SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This project focused on assessing the Body mass index of students in the higher institution using Federal Polythenic Oko as a case study. The study and analysis is only limited to response from students through questionnaire administer during their course of study in the polytechnic only.

1.5 DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS

• Anthropometric: the science of measuring the human body in order to ascertain the average dimensions of the human form at different ages,and in different division of rase,class,etc
• Age: the whole duration of a being. Whether animal, plant or other kind of being alive
• Chi-square Test: Any statistical hypothesis test in which statistic has a chi-square distribution if the null hypothesis is true.
• Contingency table: an arrangement of data containing the joint distribution of two or more categorical variables, usually in a database, a series of tables, or a special visualization.
• Height: the distance from the base of something or someone to the top.
• Weight: the mass of a human body.