IMPACT OF CENTRAL OBESITY ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2026v19i2.57261Keywords:
Central Obesity, Cognitive function, young adults, Executive function, WHRAbstract
Objectives: Obesity, particularly central obesity, has been increasingly recognized as a risk factor for impaired cognitive function due to its association with metabolic and neuroinflammatory changes. Among medical students, whose academic and clinical performance relies heavily on executive function, such associations are of particular concern. To examine the relationship between central obesity, assessed by waist–hip ratio (WHR), and cognitive performance in undergraduate medical students using standardized cognitive function tests (CFTs).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students (n=112). Anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and WHR, were measured. Cognitive function was assessed using standardized tests: Stroop Word (WR), Stroop Color–Word (CW), Stroop Effect, Trail Making Test A and B (TMT-A, TMT-B), and the Grid Concentration Test (GCT). Associations between obesity indices and CFT performance were analyzed using correlation and group comparisons.
Results: The prevalence of central adiposity (elevated WHR) was 39.28%, with a higher prevalence among females (40.48%). Students with higher WHR required significantly longer times to complete Stroop WR, CW, and Stroop Effect tasks (p<0.05), indicating impaired inhibitory control and reduced cognitive flexibility. Moderate positive correlations were observed between WHR and Stroop outcomes, particularly CW and Stroop Effect, while BMI and WC showed minimal associations. TMT-A, TMT-B, and GCT performances were not significantly related to any adiposity indices.
Conclusion: Central obesity, as measured by WHR, is associated with subtle but meaningful impairments in executive function, especially inhibitory control, among healthy individuals too. These findings underscore the value of WHR as a sensitive marker of obesity-related cognitive risk and highlight the need for early lifestyle interventions to safeguard cognitive health and academic performance in future healthcare professionals.
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