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The importance of assessing for depression with HRQOL in treatment seeking obese youth and their caregivers

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this manuscript is to (1) explore the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of youth attending a tertiary obesity treatment center compared to healthy population reference data; (2) compare the congruence between the HRQOL of youth self-reports and caregiver proxy reports; and (3) examine the associations between youth HRQOL and (a) teen and (b) caregiver depression.

Methods

The sample included 267 youth and caregiver dyads. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Analyses included paired t tests, analyses of variance, correlations, and Chi-square cross-tabulations.

Results

Overweight youth reported significantly (P < 0.001) lower scores than a previously published healthy sample on all totals and subscales of the PedsQL. For younger overweight children and caregivers, there was closer agreement on social (r = 0.45) and emotional functioning (r = 0.32); whereas teens and caregivers agreed most on school functioning (r = 0.47) and emotional functioning (r = 0.44). Regardless of age, youth and caregivers disagreed most on physical functioning. Caregivers who reported higher depressive symptoms had less agreement with their child on their perceived HRQOL; however, teens with more depressive symptoms had stronger agreement with their caregivers on their previewed HRQOL.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, there is not consistent agreement between youth and caregiver perceptions of youth HRQOL domains (physical, emotional, social, and school) and inconsistency in age groups (children and teens). Depressive symptoms in caregivers and teens can provide mechanistic insights into youth and caregiver HRQOL congruence. These findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment when providing treatment to overweight youth and their families.

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Abbreviations

PHWRTC:

Pediatric Healthy Weight Research and Treatment Center

HRQOL:

Health-related quality of life

BPS:

Biopsychosocial

BMI:

Body mass index

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Conflicts of interest

Authors do not have conflicts of interests or disclosures to state.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Development and Family Relations, College of Human Ecology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Keeley J. Pratt & Angela L. Lamson

  2. 2900 Briar Mill Trail apt 201, Raleigh, NC, 27612, USA

    Keeley J. Pratt

  3. College of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Melvin S. Swanson

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Suzanne Lazorick

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    David N. Collier

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  1. Keeley J. Pratt
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  2. Angela L. Lamson
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  4. Suzanne Lazorick
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  5. David N. Collier
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Correspondence to Keeley J. Pratt.

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Pratt, K.J., Lamson, A.L., Swanson, M.S. et al. The importance of assessing for depression with HRQOL in treatment seeking obese youth and their caregivers. Qual Life Res 21, 1367–1377 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0042-1

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