Determinants of movement quality in obese and overweight male healthcare university students: a cross-sectional analysis

Healthcare students demonstrate high prevalence of overweight and obesity, which may compromise movement quality essential for their professional demands and increase risk for injury and poor work performance. This study aimed to investigate factors influencing movement quality in overweight and obese healthcare students and to find if BMI influenced the relationship between functional exercise capacity and movement quality in this population. A cross- sectional study was carried out on 111 young male healthcare students with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². Participants underwent comprehensive assessments including anthropometric measurements, Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Six-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) test including blood pressure, heart rate and SpO2 and physical activity evaluation using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The mean FMS score was 14.2 ± 2.1. The final regression model explained 80% of variance in FMS scores (R² = 0.800, F (3,107) = 142.7, p < 0.001), representing a very large effect size (Cohen’s f² = 4.0). 6MWD emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by physical activity level, and BMI. BMI significantly moderated the relationship between 6MWD and FMS (β = 0.187, p = 0.021), with stronger associations observed in participants with lower BMI values. Functional exercise capacity, as measured by 6MWD, is the primary determinant of movement quality in overweight and obese healthcare students. The moderating effect of BMI suggests that targeted interventions should prioritize cardiovascular fitness improvement, particularly for students with higher BMI.