Post Covid-19 Body Composition And Pulmonary Function Among Young-To-Middle-Aged Adults In Karnataka, India : A Kinanthropometric Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2528Keywords:
India, Post-COVID, Body Composition, Pulmonary Function, Kin-AnthropometryAbstract
Introduction: The interplay between body composition and respiratory health has gained renewed importance in the wake of COVID-19. In this cross-sectional kin anthropometric study, 536 adults aged 26–40 years from Dharwad and Ramanagara districts, Karnataka, who had recovered from COVID-19, were examined to assess the relationship between body composition and pulmonary function. Methods: Height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were measured alongside pulmonary function parameters like Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV₁), and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) using standardized protocols. Results: Pearson correlation and Chi-square tests revealed a consistent inverse association between BMI and pulmonary function, with stronger correlations in females (FVC r = -0.585; FEV₁ r = -0.626; SpO₂ r = –0.170) than males (FVC r = -0.338; FEV₁ r = -0.584; SpO₂ r = -0.146), all statistically significant (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that elevated BMI adversely affects post-COVID respiratory recovery, particularly in women. Conclusion: Integrating BMI assessment into post-COVID follow-up care and adopting gender-sensitive rehabilitation strategies may improve long-term pulmonary outcomes.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nayana Venkatesh, Sandeep Janekunte, Aruna Hallikeri

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Articles published in the International Journal of Kinanthropometry are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the source.