Individualized Implementation of Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (YQOL-R) Among Chinese Adolescents with Different Weight Status

PURPOSE: This study implemented the individualized Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (YQOL-R) to estimate the quality of life (QoL) among Chinese adolescents with three different Body Mass Index (BMI) levels. The study aims to explore and provide a reference for developing individualized QoL (IQoL) measurements in China. METHODS: The sample consisted of 822 aged 11–18 from nine schools. The data collection included all participants’ primary characters (age, sex, annual household income, parental education, and recruitment community) and their self-report QoL. Precisely, based on the generic measurement of YQOL-R, we developed IQoL measurements by asking adolescents’ perceived five most important things to them (IQOL(importance)) and the aspects they most want to change (IQOL(change)) from 19 facets, respectively. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to compare total and subscale scores of IQOL(importance), IQOL(change), and YQOL-R among adolescents with three different weight status. Also, the data analysis used multivariable linear regression modeling to test the effects on scores of IQOL(importance) and IQOL(change). RESULTS: Overall, the obese adolescents identified “Having good physical health” as the most important (54.03%) and most like-to-change (42.65%); in contrast, the normal-weight group ranked “Being myself” as the top facet of IQOL(importance) (52.42%) and “Having good friends” as the top facet of IQOL(change) (43.12%). The obese adolescents’ reported IQOL(importance) scores are significantly lower than those of the normal-weight group (P=0.039). However, there is no significant difference in IQOL(change) score among the three weight-status groups. The multivariable linear regression models indicated that adolescents who are girls (P=0.035), have higher educated fathers (P=0.049), and are overweight/obese (P=0.041) self-reported worse IQOL(importance) score; yet, the girls (P=0.023) and older adolescents (P=0.004) answered lower IQOL(change) scores. In addition, adolescents who had higher educated mothers (P=0.047; 0.023) and responded with higher total YQOL-R scores (P<0.001; <0.001) reported higher IQOL(importance) and IQOL(change) scores. CONCLUSION: In the current study, although the self-reported YQOL-R scores from different weight status did not present a significant difference, the obese group reported a statistical trend towards lower IQOL(importance) scores than the normal-weight and overweight adolescents. These findings emphasize that IQOL(importance) and IQOL(change) could capture adolescents’ perspectives with different weight statuses about their lives, which are unique as complementary health outcomes accompanying YQOL-R in health surveys and interventions among Chinese adolescents.