A Comparative Study of Oxygen Saturation (Spo2) At Rest and after 6-Minutes Walking Test in Young Adults with Variable BMI

Abstract

Background: Exercise affects every system of the body and cause several changes in them and respiratory changes
are most important. Changes in blood levels of oxygen are very vital during exercise. The respiratory system is
most efficient in young adults and undergoes various anatomical, physiological and immunological changes with
age and hence blood levels of oxygen during exercise is more affected in elderly as compared to young adults..
But increased body mass index affects respiratory system of even young adults so there blood levels of oxygen are
more compromised as compared to normal BMI young adults during exercise.
Objective: Under normal circumstances in the blood there is a reserve of oxygen. However, when doing exercise,
the body requires oxygen in large quantities to meet the need for energy. If the level of oxygen in the blood
decreases beyond the normal limit, it will be very dangerous for the body. Health risks are associated with obesity,
including its effects on respiratory function. Respiratory muscle weakness in obesity has been linked to muscle
weakness as a result of decreased compliance of the chest wall or reduced lung volume or can occur both.
Aim: Is to study the effect exercise on SpO2 in young adults with variable BMI.
Method: A comparative cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 106 young adults in Medical College
in North India. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaire followed by anthropometric
measurement. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by Quetelet’s index. Oxygen saturation at rest and after
6-minutes walking test was recorded by using pulse oximeter. Data analyzed on SPSS version 20.0 and various
statistical tests were applied to find the correlation and significance.Results: The students with high BMI show negative correlation with oxygen saturation (SpO2) at rest and after 6-minutes walking test. This correlation is statistically significant. Conclusion: There is more decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2) in students with high BMI after 6-minutes
walking test as compared to students with normal BMI. Weight management is recommended to young adults in
order to prevent early impact of increased BMI on respiratory system.