Context: The negative effects of childhood overweight and obesity on quality o f life (QOL) have been shown in clinical samples but not yet in population-base d community samples. Objective: To determine relationships between weight and he alth-related QOL reported by parent-proxy and child self-report in a populati on sample of elementary school children. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cros s-sectional data collected in 2000 within the Health of Young Victorians Study, a longitudinal cohort study commenced in 1997.Individuals were recruited via a random 2-stage sampling design from primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Of the 1943 children in the original cohort, 1569 (80.8%) were resurveyed 3 year s later at a mean age of 10.4 years. Main Outcome Measures: Health-related QOL using the PedsQL 4.0 survey completed by both parent-proxy and by child self -report. Summary scores for children’s total, physical, and psychosocial healt h and subscale scores for emotional, social, and school functioning were compare d by weight category based on International Obesity Task Force cut points. Resul ts: Of 1456 participants, 1099 (75.5%) children were classified as not overwei ght; 294 (20.2%) overweight; and 63 (4.3%) obese. Parent-proxy and child se lf-reported PedsQL scores decreased with increasing child weight. The parent-p roxy total PedsQL mean (SD) score for children who were not overweight was 83.1 (12.5); overweight, 80.0 (13.6); and obese, 75.0 (14.5); P < .001.The re spective child self-reported total PedsQL mean (SD) scores were 80.5 (12.2), 79.3 (12.8), and 74.0 (14.2); P < .001.At the subscale level, child and pa rent-proxy reported scores were similar, showing decreases in physical and soci al functioning for obese children compared with children who were not overweight (all P < .001). Decreases in emotional and school functioning scores by weight category were not significant. Conclusion: The effects of child overweight and obesity on health-related QOL in this community-based sample were significant but smaller than in a clinical sample using the same measure.
展开▼
