BMC Public Health
Predicting Body mass index classification from physical fitness indicators using machine learning in South Chinese college students from 2013 to 2025
Abstract Physical inactivity and increasing obesity among college students are major public health concerns. Although physical fitness is closely related to body mass index (BMI), the combined predictive value of multiple fitness components remains unclear. Purpose: This study investigated the association between physical fitness and BMI and evaluated the predictive performance of fitness indicators for BMI classification using machine learning (ML). Methods: A total of 83,664 first-year college students (43,734 ma …