Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, often emerge early in life and persist into adulthood. Medical students (MS) are particularly vulnerable due to high academic demands, stress, and limited opportunities for physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between PA levels and cardiovascular health among first-year MS at Universidad del Rosario, Colombia. Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), we assessed students’ cardiovascular risk and analyzed sex differences in PA patterns.Among 188 participants (61.2% female), most had ideal CVHI (79.6%) and low WHtR-CVD risk (90%). Males engaged in higher moderate PA (MPA) and accumulated more total METs than females. CVHI correlated positively with vigorous PA (VPA) and MPA while negatively with WHtR. Multivariable Poisson regression identified that higher WHtR and prolonged sitting time increased intermediate CVHI prevalence, while VPA was protective. High WHtR-CVD risk was associated with increased age and systolic blood pressure (SBP), whereas males had a lower risk.Despite most students presenting ideal CVHI, nearly half had suboptimal PA levels. Given the protective role of VPA and the negative impact of sedentary behavior, integrating structured PA interventions in medical education is crucial. These findings underscore the need to promote cardiovascular health early in medical training to encourage lifelong healthy habits among future physicians.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, often emerge early in life and persist into adulthood. Medical students (MS) are particularly vulnerable due to high academic demands, stress, and limited opportunities for physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between PA levels and cardiovascular health among first-year MS at Universidad del Rosario, Colombia. Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), we assessed students’ cardiovascular risk and analyzed sex differences in PA patterns.Among 188 participants (61.2% female), most had ideal CVHI (79.6%) and low WHtR-CVD risk (90%). Males engaged in higher moderate PA (MPA) and accumulated more total METs than females. CVHI correlated positively with vigorous PA (VPA) and MPA while negatively with WHtR. Multivariable Poisson regression identified that higher WHtR and prolonged sitting time increased intermediate CVHI prevalence, while VPA was protective. High WHtR-CVD risk was associated with increased age and systolic blood pressure (SBP), whereas males had a lower risk.Despite most students presenting ideal CVHI, nearly half had suboptimal PA levels. Given the protective role of VPA and the negative impact of sedentary behavior, integrating structured PA interventions in medical education is crucial. These findings underscore the need to promote cardiovascular health early in medical training to encourage lifelong healthy habits among future physicians.

Our research focused on assessing the relationship between physical activity and Cardiovascular Health Index among first-year medical students at a private university in Bogotá, Colombia. This study represents a secondary analysis of the ongoing longitudinal project 'Follow-up on the mind and body components in medical students at Universidad del Rosario,' which received ethical approval from the ethics committee of La Cardio (CEIC: 3907-2019, 0221-2023). All personal identifiers have been removed to preserve the anonymity of the participants.
A cross-sectional design was employed, with data collected from a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 113 first-semester medical students (ages 17-19) who were admitted to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences EMCS between April 2019 and February 2020. Students with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney failure were excluded. Informed consent and assent were obtained from all participants prior to data collection, ensuring adherence to ethical standards.
Data were systematically captured using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software. We presented categorical data as proportions and quantitative data using measures of central tendency (mean, median) and dispersion (standard deviation, interquartile range), depending on the data's normality and homoscedasticity. Statistical analyses included Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test for numerical variables based on their normality, and chi-square test for associations between qualitative variables. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationships between ISCV, METs of physical activity, and adiposity indicators (waist circumference and WHR). All analyses were performed with a 95% confidence level and a 5% significance level using R Studio 3.0.1.

Our research focused on assessing the relationship between physical activity and Cardiovascular Health Index among first-year medical students at a private university in Bogotá, Colombia. This study represents a secondary analysis of the ongoing longitudinal project 'Follow-up on the mind and body components in medical students at Universidad del Rosario,' which received ethical approval from the ethics committee of La Cardio (CEIC: 3907-2019, 0221-2023). All personal identifiers have been removed to preserve the anonymity of the participants.
A cross-sectional design was employed, with data collected from a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 113 first-semester medical students (ages 17-19) who were admitted to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences EMCS between April 2019 and February 2020. Students with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney failure were excluded. Informed consent and assent were obtained from all participants prior to data collection, ensuring adherence to ethical standards.
Data were systematically captured using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software. We presented categorical data as proportions and quantitative data using measures of central tendency (mean, median) and dispersion (standard deviation, interquartile range), depending on the data's normality and homoscedasticity. Statistical analyses included Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test for numerical variables based on their normality, and chi-square test for associations between qualitative variables. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationships between ISCV, METs of physical activity, and adiposity indicators (waist circumference and WHR). All analyses were performed with a 95% confidence level and a 5% significance level using R Studio 3.0.1.

Our research focused on assessing the relationship between physical activity and Cardiovascular Health Index among first-year medical students at a private university in Bogotá, Colombia. This study represents a secondary analysis of the ongoing longitudinal project 'Follow-up on the mind and body components in medical students at Universidad del Rosario,' which received ethical approval from the ethics committee of La Cardio (CEIC: 3907-2019, 0221-2023). All personal identifiers have been removed to preserve the anonymity of the participants.
A cross-sectional design was employed, with data collected from a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 113 first-semester medical students (ages 17-19) who were admitted to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences EMCS between April 2019 and February 2020. Students with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney failure were excluded. Informed consent and assent were obtained from all participants prior to data collection, ensuring adherence to ethical standards.
Data were systematically captured using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software. We presented categorical data as proportions and quantitative data using measures of central tendency (mean, median) and dispersion (standard deviation, interquartile range), depending on the data's normality and homoscedasticity. Statistical analyses included Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test for numerical variables based on their normality, and chi-square test for associations between qualitative variables. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationships between ISCV, METs of physical activity, and adiposity indicators (waist circumference and WHR). All analyses were performed with a 95% confidence level and a 5% significance level using R Studio 3.0.1.