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Body mass index and health-related quality of life in apparently healthy individuals

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Abstract

Purpose

Obesity is known to be associated with a range of chronic medical comorbidities, but little is known about the impact of overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons without chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess HRQoL, body mass index (BMI) and health behavior patterns in a community sample of subjects who had no long-lasting medical comorbidities

Methods

We assessed HRQoL in 1,187 apparently healthy individuals (mean age 57 ± 7 years), of whom 24 % were classified as normal weight, 49 % as overweight, 20 % as obese and 7 % as very obese. Two different instruments of HRQoL were used: the generic Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire and the preference-based instrument EuroQol (EQ-5D).

Results

All physical components of the SF-36 decreased linearly according to BMI categories in women. In men, only poorer physical functioning scale showed linearity with rising BMI. Scores on the mental components of the SF-36 did not differ by BMI categories in either gender. The EQ-5D index and EuroQol visual analogue scale scores decreased linearly with rising BMI only in women.

Conclusions

In apparently healthy middle-aged subjects, physical HRQoL decreases with increasing level of BMI and more so in women than in men. Mental components of HRQoL do not differ between the categories of BMI in either gender.

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Abbreviations

AUDIT:

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

BDI:

Beck’s Depression Inventory

BMI:

Body mass index

EQ-5D:

EuroQol

EQ-VAS:

EuroQol visual analogue scale

FINDRISC:

Finnish Diabetes Risk Score

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

LTPA:

Leisure-time physical activity

MCS:

Mental component summary scale

PCS:

Physical component summary scale

SD:

Standard deviations

SF-36:

Short-Form Health Survey

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Satakunta Hospital District, Pori, Finland

    Päivi E. Korhonen

  2. Central Satakunta Health Federation of Municipalities, Jokikatu 3, 29200, Harjavalta, Finland

    Päivi E. Korhonen

  3. Institute of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Päivi E. Korhonen & Tellervo Seppälä

  4. Medcare Foundation, Äänekoski, Finland

    Salme Järvenpää

  5. Unit of Primary Health Care, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Hannu Kautiainen

  6. Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Hannu Kautiainen

Authors
  1. Päivi E. Korhonen
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  2. Tellervo Seppälä
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  3. Salme Järvenpää
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  4. Hannu Kautiainen
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Correspondence to Päivi E. Korhonen.

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Korhonen, P.E., Seppälä, T., Järvenpää, S. et al. Body mass index and health-related quality of life in apparently healthy individuals. Qual Life Res 23, 67–74 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0433-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0433-6

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