Research Report: Students’ Perceptions of Weight and Health Status and Factors Influencing Their Body Mass Indices

The results of this study suggested that there were no statistically significant differences between how two selected groups of students perceived their overall health and weight status. However, when perception levels were paired with four body mass indices (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese), the results were statistically significant. Despite some divergences among perceptions and body mass indices, students who assessed their weight as “about right” and their health as “excellent” were more likely to fall in the normal weight classification than in other classifications. Age, household size, gender, resident status, fruit consumption, and perceptions of health status influenced students’ body mass indices.