Fitness-Fatness Index on Predicting Cardiovascular Outcomes in College-Aged Students

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a leading global health burden, with risk factors often emerging during college years. Traditional assessment methods like Body Mass Index (BMI) have significant limitations in predicting health outcomes. This study evaluated the relationship between Fitness-Fatness Index (FFI) and cardiovascular outcomes in college-aged students compared to traditional measures. A correlational-predictive non-experimental survey was conducted with 218 healthy, non-smoking young adults (109 male, 109 female; age 20.8±2.9 years). Participants underwent comprehensive anthropometric assessments, body composition analysis, aerobic fitness tests, and cardiovascular measurements, including brachial/central blood pressure and arterial stiffness parameters. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that metabolic equivalents (METS) were the strongest predictor of arterial stiffness parameters, with the highest beta coefficients for augmentation pressure (β=-0.407, p=0.002), augmentation index (β=-0.398, p<0.001), and pulse wave velocity (β=-0.234, p=0.006). The waist-to-height ratio was the strongest predictor of adjusted brachial systolic blood pressure (β=0.159, p=0.016), while FFI was the strongest predictor of central diastolic blood pressure (β=-0.306, p<0.001). These findings indicate cardiorespiratory fitness is a key determinant of arterial stiffness in college-aged individuals, challenging the hypothesis that FFI would outperform traditional measures. Incorporating both METS and FFI may provide more comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment in this population.