The Relationship between Obesity and Quality Of Life in School Children

BACKGROUND: To determine relationships between healths related quality of life and body mass index in children aged 9–11 years old. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on 240 children 9–11 year olds who were selected via multi stage cluster sampling design from primary schools in the Shahre Qods of the Tehran, Iran in 2007. Pediatric Quality of Life inventory was completed by child self report with measured height and weight used to determine body mass index percentile/weight classification. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥95(th) percentile for age and gender and one way analyses of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analyses. RESULTS: Physical, social and school functioning was significantly lowered for obese when compared to normal weight children (P<.05). The impairment in QOL in the community-based sample of elementary school children was less marked than clinical sample of obese. Obese children maintain emotional health. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the importance in considering dimensions of quality of life at further understanding obesity in children.