The Body Mass - Cognition Conundrum: Unraveling the Association Between Cognitive Performance and Obesity Among Medical Students

Link Between Obesity and Cognitive Performance in Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between obesity and cognition level in terms of Mini-Mental State Examination scores and to compare the cognition levels between obese and non-obese students.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was held at Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College after taking ethical approval (Ref. No: IEC/221-23) from July to December 2023. A total of 159 students aged between 17 and 25 years were enrolled, including 34 obese and 125 non-obese students who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) tool was used to assess the cognition levels, it is an effective screening tool to separate patients with cognitive impairment from those without it. The questionnaire consists of several tasks, including orientation, attention, language and memory.

Results: Mean age of the participants was 20.29±1.33 years. Obese students showed significantly lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination compared to non-obese students. A significant negative association was found between BMI and cognitive scores (p = 0.034).

Conclusion: Obese students had lower cognition performance as compared to non-obese students. Higher BMI has a negative influence on cognitive performance; however, the field remains dynamic, and the ongoing research is needed to elucidate the causal pathways and inform evidence-based interventions.