Effects of a controlled exercise programme on anthropometric parameters, dietary habit and sleep quality of obese university students

According to WHO, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. In spite of growing public awareness of the importance of weight loss, obesity prevalence continues to rise with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of jogging exercise programme (JEP) on anthropometric parameters, dietary habit and sleep quality of obese Ghanaian university students. This randomised controlled study employed 33 obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) students from a tertiary university in Ghana. The experimental group participated in a six-week, 3-5 times/week JEP for 45 and 40 minutes per session while the control group had intervention free session. Anthropometric parameters were assessed using the Omron body composition analyser and a standard tape measure. Sleep quality and Dietary habit were determined using a pre-validated Sleep Quality Scale and Performance of a Brief Dietary Assessment and Intervention tool for Health Professionals questionnaire respectively. The participants had a mean age of 21.70 ± 3.74 years. There were 14 (42.4%) males and 19 (57.6%) females of which 26 (80.8%) were indigenous and 7 (19.2%) were international students. There was significant decrease in body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and visceral fat; and increase in sleep quality (p < .05) at the end of the intervention period. However, the dietary habit of the experimental group did not change significantly (p > .05). In conclusion, JEP has positive impacts on anthropometric parameters and sleep quality of obese persons.