Journal of Anatomical Sciences 2021: Vol. 12 No. 1 54 Body Weight and Academic Performance among Medical Students at a Nigerian Higher Education Institution in Kano 1 2 3 4 1 1 Umar MI, Abdulkadir M, Jamil DU, Justina AE, Umar KB, Adamu 1 5 LH, Muhammad AA and Abubakar M 1 Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, Nigeria 2 Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, Nigeria 3 Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, Nigeria 4 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, Nigeria 5 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria Corresponding Author:Umar MI Email: mikaumar.muk@gmail.com; 2348034520566 A S N Journal of Anatomical Sciences Email:anatomicaljournal@gmail.com J Anat Sci 12 (2) ABSTRACT The current study looked at the relationship between body weight and academic performance among students at Yusuf Maitama Sule University Kano's Basic Medical Science program. A stratified sampling technique was used to select subjects for a correlational survey study. A total of 162 male and female subjects who met the inclusion criteria were chosen. On approval by the University's ethical committee, each student's cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was collected. A standiometer was used to assess their weights (kg) and heights (m). SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data, with a α0.05 considered significant. The subjects' mean ages (Years), weights (Kg), heights (m), BMI, and CGPA were found to be 22.55 ± 3.52, 54.14 ± 7.72, 1.65 ± 0.09, 20.04 ± 1.14, and the minimum and maximum of CGPA were 1.18 and 4.89, respectively. A significant relationship between sexual dimorphism and weight and height was observed, with males having a higher mean value in both weight and height (P – value = 0.00). There was no significant difference in CGPA or BMI between males and females (P–value = 0.983 and 0.905, respectively). Correlation of CGPA with weight, height, and BMI between males and females shows no significant differences. This study demonstrates that weight and gender differences are not related to academic performance among the subjects under study, contrary to other hypotheses. Keywords: Weight, Height, Gender, Academic Performance and Cumulative grade point average (CGPA). INTRODUCTION The importance of education and intelligence in a country's development has long been recognized. Developing human resources is often the first step in 1 this process . While academic achievement has been linked to an individual's or a nation's health and well- 2, 3, 4 being, particularly in higher education institutions . The context of universities or colleges is to promote effective learning by promoting the health and well- 2 being of its members, whether students or faculty . Some studies have found that physical well-being, such as weight control, improves academic performance. Weight, as a predictor of obesity, could be used as an important index for identifying some obesity-related health issues in both children and adults. Overweight and obesity have recently been observed to be serious problems in children and young adults, such as those 5 found in developing-country universities . An individual's weight status can be related to socioeconomic status and physical surroundings, which may contribute to factors affecting academic 6 performance . Glewwe et al. proposed that early childhood nutritional status could influence academic performance because children who focus on age pairs or siblings often pay less attention to academic 7 activities due to poor feedings . Genetic factors may also be markers that influence an individual's health and 8 weight, which can affect academic performance . Obesity or overweight can lead to medical conditions that impair mental ability and learning in children and 9, 10, 11 adolescents . Overweight or obesity may influence how an individual is treated by peers or teachers, and this affecting the psychology of the individual's learning ability. Sleep disturbances, heart intolerance, shortness of breath when active, and tiredness are some of the other issues associated with obesity. This factor may also have an impact on academic performance, which may have an impact on future educational attainment and