Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Obesity and health related quality of life in the general adult population of the Canary Islands

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the relationship between excess weight and health related quality of life (HRQL) in the general population by means of the EuroQol-5D questionnaire.

Methods

The relationship between excess weight and HRQL was explored by the 2004 Canary Islands Health Survey. Survey participants from 16 years of age and older were classified according to their body mass index (BMI). The relationship between excess weight and the dichotomized EuroQol-5D was examined by multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting by socio-demographic variables, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and self-reported disease status.

Results

People with excess weight were older, less educated, and had more associated diseases than the population without excess weight. Excess weight and HRQL are inversely correlated. Severely obese participants showed EuroQol-5D index scores significantly lower than those of normal weight participants (0.65 vs. 0.87). The adjusted odds ratio for the lower HRQL is 3.17 for severely obese people compared to normal weight people.

Conclusions

Excess weight has a negative impact on HRQL, even for people without chronic diseases. A better understanding of the relationships between excess weight, its associated comorbidities, and HRQL may have important implications for the design and assessment of prevention and treatment strategies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

HRQL:

Health related quality of life

EQ-5D:

EuroQol-5D questionnaire

SF-36:

Short Form 36 questionnaire

BMI:

Body mass index

References

  1. Encuesta de Nutrición de Canarias ENCA. (1997–1998). Volumen 2: Factores de riesgo cardiovascular. Available from: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/sanidad/scs/psc.htm.

  2. Encuesta de Salud de Canarias. (2004). Hábitos de vida. Available from: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/sanidad/scs/psc.htm.

  3. Plan de salud de Canarias. (2004–2008). Available from: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/sanidad/scs/psc.htm.

  4. Cabrera de León, A., Rodríguez-Pérez, M. C., del Castillo-Rodríguez, J. C., Brito-Díaz, B., Pérez-Méndez, L. I., Muros de Fuentes, M., et al. (2006). Coronary risk in the population of the Canary Islands, Spain, using the Framingham function. Medicina Clínica, 126(14), 521–526. doi:10.1157/13087138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Informe de la Ponencia para el estudio de la obesidad infantil y juvenil en España, constituida en el seno de la Comisión conjunta de la Comisión de Educación y Ciencia y de la Comisión de Sanidad y Consumo (543/000004), 2007.

  6. Ford, E. S., Moriarty, D. G., Zack, M. M., Mokdad, A. H., & Chapman, D. P. (2001). Self-reported body mass index and health-related quality of life: findings from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system. Obesity Research, 9(1), 21–31. doi:10.1038/oby.2001.4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Jia, H., & Lubetkin, E. I. (2005). The impact of obesity on health-related quality-of-life in the general adult US population. Journal of Public Health, 27, 156–164. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdi025.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Katz, D. A., McHorney, C. A., & Atkinson, R. L. (2000). Impact of obesity on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic illness. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 15, 789–796. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2000.90906.x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Kolotkin, R. L., Crosby, R. D., & Williams, G. R. (2002). Health-related quality of life varies among obese subgroups. Obesity Research, 10, 748–756. doi:10.1038/oby.2002.102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sturm, R., & Wells, K. B. (2001). Does obesity contribute as much to morbidity as poverty or smoking? Public Health, 115, 229–235. doi:10.1016/S0033-3506(01)00449-8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hassan, M. K., Joshi, A. V., Madhavan, S. S., & Amonkar, M. M. (2003). Obesity and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional analysis of the US population. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 27, 1227–1232. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802396.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sach, T. H., Barton, G. R., Doherty, M., Muir, K. R., Jenkinson, C., & Avery, A. J. (2007). The relationship between body mass index and health-related quality of life: comparing the EQ-5D, EuroQol VAS and SF-6D. International Journal of Obesity (Lond), 31, 189–196. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803365.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Doll, H. A., Petersen, S. E., & Stewart-Brown, S. L. (2000). Obesity and physical and emotional well-being: Associations between body mass index, chronic illness, and the physical and mental components of the SF-36 questionnaire. Obesity Research, 8(2), 160–170. doi:10.1038/oby.2000.17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Larsson, U., Karlsson, J., & Sullivan, M. (2002). Impact of overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life—A Swedish population study. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 417–424. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0801919.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Laaksonen, M., Sarlio-Lähteenkorva, S., Leino-Arjas, P., Martikainen, P., & Lahelma, E. (2005). Body weight and health status: Importance of socioeconomic position and working conditions. Obesity Research, 13(12), 2169–2177. doi:10.1038/oby.2005.269.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Huang, I. C., Frangakis, C., & Wu, A. W. (2006). The relationship of excess body weight and health-related quality of life: Evidence from a population study in Taiwan. International Journal of Obesity (Lond), 30(8), 1250–1259. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Fontaine, K. R., Cheskin, L. J., & Barofsky, I. (1996). Health-related quality of life in obese persons seeking treatment. The Journal of Family Practice, 43, 265–270.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Stewart, A. L., Greenfield, S., Hays, R. D., Wells, K., Rogers, W. H., Berry, S. D., et al. (1989). Functional status and well-being of patients with chronic conditions. Results from the Medical Outcomes Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 262, 907–913. doi:10.1001/jama.262.7.907.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Fontaine, K. R., & Barofsky, I. (2001). Obesity and health-related quality of life. Obesity Reviews, 2(3), 173–182. doi:10.1046/j.1467-789x.2001.00032.x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Brown, W. J., Dobson, A. J., & Mishra, G. (1998). What is a healthy weight for middle aged women? International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 22, 520–528. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0800617.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kind, P. (1996). The EuroQol instrument: an index of health-related quality of life. In B. Spilker (Ed.), Quality of life and pharmacoeconomics in clinical (2nd ed., pp. 191–201). Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Gold, M. R., Siegel, J. E., Russell, L. B., & Weinstein, M. C. (1996). Cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rabin, R., & de Charro, F. (2001). EQ-5D: a measure of health status from the EuroQol group. Annals of Medicine, 33(5), 337–343. doi:10.3109/07853890109002087.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Badia, X., Schiaffino, A., Alonso, J., & Herdman, M. (1998). Using the EuroQoI 5-D in the Catalan general population: Feasibility and construct validity. Quality of Life Research, 7(4), 311–322.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. World Health Organization Expert Committee on Physical Status. The use and interpretation of anthropometry. Report of a World Health Organization Expert Committee. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1995. Technical Support, Series 854.

  26. Rejeski, W. J., Lang, W., Neiberg, R. H., Van Dorsten, B., Foster, G. D., Maciejewski, M. L., et al. (2006). Correlates of health-related quality of life in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 14(5), 870–883. doi:10.1038/oby.2006.101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Barofsky, I., Fontaine, K. R., & Cheskin, L. J. (1997). Pain in the obese: Impact on health-related quality-of-life. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 19, 408–410. doi:10.1007/BF02895160.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Heo, M., Allison, D. B., Faith, M. S., Zhu, S., & Fontaine, K. R. (2003). Obesity and quality of life: Mediating effects of pain and comorbidities. Obesity Research, 11, 209–216. doi:10.1038/oby.2003.33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Maddigan, S. L., Feeny, D. H., & Johnson, J. A. (2005). Health-related quality of life deficits associated with diabetes and comorbidities in a Canadian National Population Health Survey. Quality of Life Research, 14, 1311–1320. doi:10.1007/s11136-004-6640-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Alonso, J., Ferrer, M., Gandek, B., Ware, J. E., Jr., Aaronson, N. K., Mosconi, P., et al. (2004). Health-related quality of life associated with chronic conditions in eight countries: Results from the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. Quality of Life Research, 13, 283–298. doi:10.1023/B:QURE.0000018472.46236.05.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Palta, M., Prineas, R. J., Berman, R., & Hannan, P. (1982). Comparison of self-reported and measured height and weight. American Journal of Epidemiology, 115, 223–230.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Rowland, M. L. (1990). Self-reported weight and height. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 52, 1125–1133.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Fact Sheet, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). January 2003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD. Home page at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/.

  34. McTigue, K. M., Harris, R., Hemphill, B., Lux, L., Sutton, S., Bunton, A. J., et al. (2003). Screening and interventions for obesity in adults: Summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 139, 933–949.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Luscombe, F. A. (2000). Health-related quality of life measurement in type 2 diabetes. Value in Health, 3, S15–S28. doi:10.1046/j.1524-4733.2000.36032.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Anderson, R. M., Fitzgerald, J. T., Wisdom, K., Davis, W. K., & Hiss, R. G. (1997). A comparison of global versus disease-specific quality-of-life measures in patients with NIDDM. Diabetes Care, 20, 299–305. doi:10.2337/diacare.20.3.299.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. de Visser, C. L., Bilo, H. J. G., Groenier, K. H., de Visser, W., & Meyboom-de Jong, B. (2002). The influence of cardiovascular disease on quality of life in type 2 diabetics. Quality of Life Research, 11, 249–261. doi:10.1023/A:1015287825660.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Planning & Evaluation Unit, Canary Islands Health Service, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    P. Serrano-Aguilar

  2. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

    P. Serrano-Aguilar & Y. Ramallo-Fariña

  3. School of Medicine, University of La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    S. R. Muñoz-Navarro

  4. Canary Islands Research & Health Foundation (Fundación Canaria de Investigación y Salud—FUNCIS), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Y. Ramallo-Fariña & M. M. Trujillo-Martín

  5. Servicio de Evaluación y Planificación, Servicio Canario de Salud, Pérez de Rozas 5, 4º, 38004, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Y. Ramallo-Fariña

Authors
  1. P. Serrano-Aguilar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. R. Muñoz-Navarro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Y. Ramallo-Fariña
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. M. Trujillo-Martín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y. Ramallo-Fariña.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Serrano-Aguilar, P., Muñoz-Navarro, S.R., Ramallo-Fariña, Y. et al. Obesity and health related quality of life in the general adult population of the Canary Islands. Qual Life Res 18, 171–177 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9427-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9427-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation