Objective: To determine the variables associated with sedentary lifestyle in young students of a public institution of higher education in Lima-Peru. Materials and methods: An observational, cross-sectional, analytical, retrospective study. Data was collected from the students’ medical evaluation form and academic records. The sample consisted of 187 higher education students. Variables such as age, sex, weight, height, abdominal perimeter, academic term, academic performance and academic program were assessed. The students’ annual medical evaluation included answering the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). For the identification of the variables associated with sedentary lifestyle, the chi square-test was used. A significance level of 95 % was accepted (p <0.05). Results: The average age was 18.6 years (CI 16.9 - 20.3), 80 % were male, 39 % were obese/overweigh...