Abstract: Objective To understand the status and influencing factors of obesity among university students in Anhui Province, and to provide a basis for the formulation of relevant intervention strategies. Methods Through a multistage stratified cluster sampling, 17 394 university students from 16 cities in Anhui Province were selected for physical measurements and questionnaire surveys. logistic regression was employed to analyze the influencing factors of obesity among university students. Results Among the surveyed university students, 1 684 were determined to be obese, with an obesity rate of 9.68%. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that being girl (OR=0.302) and engaging in moderate to high-intensity physical activity for ≥5 days in the past week (OR=0.652) were protective factors against obesity, while consuming sugary drinks ≥1 time per day (OR=1.203) and sleeping less than 7 hours per day (OR=1.188) were risk factors for obesity among university students. Gender-specific analysis showed that consuming sugary drinks≥1 time per day (OR=1.460) was a risk factor for obesity in girls, while engaging in moderate to high-intensity physical activity for 3-4 days or for ≥5 days (OR=0.823, 0.609) in the past week were protective factors against obesity in boys. Conclusion Consumption of sugary drinks, inadequate moderate to high-intensity physical activity, and insufficient sleep are the main influencing factors of obesity among university students, and gender-specific intervention measures should be implemented.

Key words: University students, Obesity, Existing circumstances research, Factor analysis