INFLUENCE OF BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST - HIP RATIO ON VISUAL REACTION TIME IN PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Hetvi Shah; Anjali Puntambekar

Volume : IX, Issue : VI, June - 2020

INFLUENCE OF BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST - HIP RATIO ON VISUAL REACTION TIME IN PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Hetvi Shah, Anjali Puntambekar

Abstract :

Background: Obesity being the leading cause of worldwide morbidity has adverse effects on the cognitive functions of an individual affecting the nervous system and thus visual reaction time. Reaction time represents the time taken by an individual to react to an external stimulus, thus measuring the information processing abilities in humans representing the concentration & coordination abilities of the person. Methodology: 51 subjects were categorized into three groups based on Body Mass Index and 50 subjects into two groups based on the Waist–Hip Ratio. Four different reaction times were assessed using the Deary Liewald Simple and Choice Reaction Time Test and Simon Task Test for Congruent and Incongruent Reaction Time. Conclusion: The results revealed no significant influence of Body Mass Index and Waist–Hip Ratio on the Visual Reaction Time. However, a significant influence of high Waist–Hip Ratio was found on Congruent Reaction Time in Physiotherapy students (p–value = 0.0256).