Characteristics of Body Composition and Lifestyle in Chinese University Students with Normal-Weight Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow chart of study participants.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BF%, body fat percentage; NWO, normal weight obesity; NWNO, normal weight non-obesity.

Table 1 Anthropometric Indicators and Body Composition of Participants Stratified by Sex and Body Fat Percentage

	Male (n = 102)		Female (n = 177)
	NWO (n = 26)	NWNO (n = 76)	NWO (n = 71)	NWNO (n = 106)
Body weight (kg)	68.8 ± 6.8	63.5 ± 8.6**	55.7 ± 5.4	52.6 ± 4.6**
Body height (cm)	171.7 ± 6.9	175.0 ± 7.1	162.9 ± 5.7	161.6 ± 4.7
BMI (kg/m^2)	23.3 ± 0.5	20.6 ± 1.6**	21.0 ± 1.6	20.1 ± 1.2**
Body fat mass (kg)	16.5 ± 3.4	9.2 ± 2.5**	18.2 ± 2.6	13.9 ± 2.0**
BF (%)	23.9 ± 3.6	14.4 ± 2.7**	32.7 ± 2.7	26.4 ± 2.5**
Total body water (L)	38.4 ± 3.8	39.7 ± 5.1	27.5 ± 2.7	28.2 ± 2.5
Soft lean mass (kg)	49.4 ± 4.8	51.2 ± 6.6	35.1 ± 3.4	36.1 ± 3.6
Fat-free mass (kg)	52.4 ± 5.2	54.2 ± 7.0	37.5 ± 3.7	38.6 ± 3.4*
Skeletal muscle mass (kg)	29.2 ± 2.9	30.5 ± 4.2	20.0 ± 1.96	20.7 ± 2.0*
Bone mineral content (kg)	2.96 ± 0.36	3.06 ± 0.46	2.30 ± 0.22	2.37 ± 0.24
Visceral fat area (cm^2)	67.8 ± 17.1	33.6 ± 12.2**	80.9 ± 18.2	55.2 ± 8.4**
Waist circumference (cm)	80.7 ± 7.1	74.4 ± 6.9**	69.3 ± 4.3	67.9 ± 4.8*
Hip circumference (cm)	98.9 ± 4.9	92.0 ± 6.4**	94.1 ± 4.3	90.9 ± 4.2**
WHR	0.81 ± 0.05	0.81 ± 0.04	0.74 ± 0.04	0.75 ± 0.04

Notes: *P < 0.05 (NWO vs NWNO); **P < 0.01 (NWO vs NWNO).

Abbreviations: NWO, normal weight obesity; NWNO, normal weight non-obesity; BMI, body mass index; BF%, body fat percentage; WHR, waist-to-hip ratio.

Table 2 Healthy Lifestyles Scale of University Students Stratified by Sex and Body Fat Percentage

HLSUS and Dimension	Range of Obtainable Scores (Min and Max.)	Male (n = 102)		Female (n = 177)
		NWO (n = 26)	NWNO (n = 76)	NWO (n = 71)	NWNO (n = 106)
Total HLSUS (38 items)	38–190	143.3 ± 10.6	154.0 ± 11.5**	139.4 ± 9.5	147.0 ± 8.1**
Physical exercise behavior	4–20	12.5 ± 2.0	15.6 ± 2.3**	11.4 ± 1.5	13.1 ± 2.6**
Regular life behavior	4–20	13.1 ± 1.4	15.1 ± 2.1**	12.8 ± 2.4	14.3 ± 2.2**
Dietary nutrition behavior	4–20	14.4 ± 2.6	16.5 ± 1.9**	13.2 ± 1.6	14.5 ± 2.4**
Health risk behavior	4–20	12.4 ± 2.1	13.3 ± 1.4	13.5 ± 1.4	13.4 ± 1.3
Health responsibility behavior	6–30	26.1 ± 2.2	26.0 ± 2.2	26.2 ± 2.7	26.2 ± 2.1
Social support behavior	6–30	24.6 ± 1.8	25.4 ± 2.0	24.6 ± 2.4	25.2 ± 2.1
Stress management behavior	5–25	19.8 ± 1.7	21.0 ± 1.7**	18.7 ± 1.8	20.0 ± 1.9**
Life appreciation behavior	5–25	20.4 ± 2.3	21.2 ± 2.4	18.9 ± 2.4	20.4 ± 1.9**

Note: **P < 0.01 (NWO vs NWNO).

Abbreviations: NWO, normal weight obesity; NWNO, normal weight non-obesity; HLSUS, healthy lifestyles scale of university students.

Table 3 The Correlations Between Body Composition and Lifestyle Scores

	Total HLSUS	Physical Exercise Behavior	Dietary Nutrition Behavior	Regular Life Behavior	Stress Management Behavior	Life Appreciation Behavior
NWO male (n = 26)
Body weight	−0.318	−0.184	−0.355	−0.158	−0.320	–
BMI	−0.058	−0.233	−0.402*	−0.174	−0.027	–
Body fat mass	−0.255	−0.174	−0.432*	−0.308	−0.228	–
BF%	−0.148	−0.114	−0.352	−0.313	−0.127	–
Visceral fat area	−0.163	−0.069	−0.344	−0.233	−0.233	–
Waist circumference	−0.061	−0.082	−0.097	−0.185	−0.156	–
Hip circumference	0.084	−0.057	−0.137	−0.039	−0.094	–
NWNO male (n = 76)
Body weight	−0.069	−0.137	−0.144	−0.160	−0.108	–
BMI	−0.117	−0.156	−0.155	−0.092	−0.165	–
Body fat mass	−0.367**	−0.374**	−0.343**	−0.288*	−0.332**	–
BF%	−0.474**	−0.411**	−0.376**	−0.287*	−0.409**	–
Visceral fat area	−0.384**	−0.410**	−0.384**	−0.351**	−0.309**	–
Waist circumference	−0.131	−0.105	−0.114	−0.141	−0.089	–
Hip circumference	−0.056	−0.078	−0.095	−0.129	−0.078	–
NWO female (n = 71)
Body weight	−0.105	−0.098	−0.048	−0.069	−0.100	−0.021
BMI	−0.245*	−0.261*	−0.220	−0.052	−0.157	−0.020
Body fat mass	−0.310**	−0.338**	−0.252*	−0.132	−0.215	−0.206
BF%	−0.402**	−0.462**	−0.374**	−0.149	−0.242*	−0.316**
Fat-free mass	0.078	0.112	0.114	−0.006	0.013	0.129
Skeletal muscle mass	0.112	0.137	0.134	0.035	0.033	0.137
Visceral fat area	−0.347**	−0.409**	−0.324**	−0.176	−0.203	−0.247*
Waist circumference	−0.176	−0.088	−0.016	−0.102	−0.031	0.117
Hip circumference	−0.091	−0.163	0.060	0.018	−0.153	−0.055
NWNO female (n = 106)
Body weight	−0.167	−0.110	−0.301**	0.021	0.182	0.005
BMI	−0.073	−0.105	−0.260*	0.073	0.245	0.029
Body fat mass	−0.370**	−0.417**	−0.475**	−0.189	0.129	−0.047
BF%	−0.355**	−0.502**	−0.400**	−0.271*	0.032	−0.064
Fat-free mass	−0.004	−0.099	−0.126	0.149	0.163	0.030
Skeletal muscle mass	−0.018	−0.093	−0.129	0.136	0.166	0.028
Visceral fat area	−0.314**	−0.365**	−0.408**	−0.167	0.103	−0.040
Waist circumference	−0.129	−0.239	−0.228	−0.195	0.242	0.204
Hip circumference	−0.209	−0.234	−0.328**	−0.010	0.145	0.051

Notes: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

Abbreviations: NWO, normal weight obesity; NWNO, normal weight non-obesity; BMI, body mass index; BF%, body fat percentage; HLSUS, healthy lifestyles scale of university students.

Table 4 Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis of University Students’ Lifestyles and NWO by Sex

	OR	95% CI	P-value
Male
Physical exercise behavior	0.298	(0.121, 0.733)	0.009
Regular life behavior	0.600	(0.324, 1.108)	0.127
Dietary nutrition behavior	1.661	(0.863, 3.198)	0.208
Stress management behavior	0.570	(0.305, 1.065)	0.130
Female
Physical exercise behavior	0.653	(0.505, 0.843)	0.001
Regular life behavior	0.878	(0.699, 1.103)	0.263
Dietary nutrition behavior	0.759	(0.584, 0.986)	0.039
Stress management behavior	0.503	(0.335, 0.755)	0.001
Life appreciation behavior	1.046	(0.784, 1.397)	0.759

Notes: The multivariate logistic regression models were adjusted for age, family monthly income, father’s educational level, mother’s educational level, residence before entering university, and whether the only child.

Abbreviation: NWO, normal weight obesity.