Association of Body Mass Index with Frequency of Different Blood Groups among Medical Students

Abstract

ABO blood group and Rh typing has been given high priority because of their medical importance. ABO antigen type has been proved as a risk factor for obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Bashundhara Ad-din Medical College, Keraniganj, Dhaka, Bangladesh, between January and June of 2024 among 100 undergraduate medical students, to determine the association between ABO blood groups and body mass index. Individuals with physical deformities that influenced height such as short or amputated lower limbs, kyphosis, and scoliosis, a genetic disorder linked with obesity, conditions including hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome or Cushing syndrome linked with obesity were excluded. Weight of the students was measured in the upright position to the nearest 0.5kg and height was measured without shoes to the nearest 0.1cm. Then, BMI was calculated. Blood samples were collected for ABO blood grouping and Rh typing. The mean age of the medical students was 21.36±1.23 years. 34% were male and 66% were female; male-female ratio was 1:1.94. Based on BMI, 39% of students were obese, while 16% were overweight, 43% had normal BMI and 11% were underweight. The mean BMI was 23.74±3.98 kg/m². Most of the participants belonged to the B blood group (42%), followed by blood group O (29%), blood group A (21%) and blood group AB (8%). 97% of the participants had Rhesus-positive and 3% were Rhesus negative. Among the overweight, obese and underweight students, blood group B was predominant (62.5%, 40% and 36.4% respectively); while among the students having normal BMI blood group AB was predominant (39.5%). The differences were not statistically significant (p=0.499). In all BMI categories, i.e., underweight, normal, overweight and obese, Rh positive was predominant (100%, 95.3%, 93.8% and 100% respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (p=0.589). Blood group B is the most common blood group and there is no relationship between BMI and blood group among the medical students.

CBMJ 2026 July: Vol. 15 No. 02 P:139-144