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Health-related quality of life, obesity, and fitness in schoolchildren: the Cuenca study

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of weight status and physical fitness with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to examine the independent association of body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and musculoskeletal fitness (MF) with HRQoL in schoolchildren.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 1,158 schoolchildren, 8–11 years, from 20 schools in the Cuenca province, Spain. We measured weight, height, and physical fitness, measured by CRF (20-m shuttle run test) and MF index by summing the age–sex z scores of handgrip strength test/weight + standing broad jump test. Self-reported HRQoL was measured by KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire.

Results

Normal weight boys scored better in physical well-being, mood and emotions, autonomy, and social support and peers dimensions than overweight/obese boys. The mean in self-perception dimensions was lower in obese girls compared to normal weight or overweight girls. Higher levels of CRF and MF were associated with better physical well-being in both genders. Multiple linear regression models showed that the influence of MF in boys and CRF in girls on HRQoL was greater than that of overweight.

Conclusions

This is one of the first studies that assess the association of CRF and MF with HRQoL while controlling for BMI. CRF and MF are closely related to HRQoL, in particular to physical well-being. Improving fitness could be a strategy of particular interest for improving the HRQoL of schoolchildren.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

CRF:

Cardiorespiratory fitness

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

MF:

Musculoskeletal fitness

MFI:

Musculoskeletal fitness index

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Acknowledgments

We thank the schools, families, and children for their enthusiastic participation in the study. This study was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (PII1I09-0259-9898 and POII10-0208-5325), and Ministry of Health (FIS PI081297). Additional funding was obtained from the Research Network on Preventative Activities and Health Promotion (Ref.—RD06/0018/0038).

Conflicting interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emergency Department, Hospital Virgen de la Luz, Cuenca, Spain

    Pablo Franquelo Morales

  2. Social and Health Care Research Center, University of Castilla-La Mancha, C/Santa Teresa Jornet s/n, 16071, Cuenca, Spain

    Mairena Sánchez-López, Pablo Moya-Martínez, Jorge Cañete García-Prieto, María Martínez-Andrés, Noelia Lahoz García & Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno

  3. School of Education, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Mairena Sánchez-López

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  1. Pablo Franquelo Morales
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  2. Mairena Sánchez-López
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  7. Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno.

Additional information

In addition to the above, the Cuenca study group is formed of: Alicia Sánchez Martínez; Beatriz Gómez Orozco; Beatriz Valencia Garcia; Blanca Notario Pacheco; Candelas Blasco López; Coral E. Torrijos Niño; Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo, Fernando Salcedo Aguilar; Francisco B. Ortega Porcel; Idoia Labayen Goñi; Ignacio Ortiz Galeano; Inmaculada Solera Martínez; Jesús A. Pontones Lahoz; Jonatan Ruiz Ruiz; Julia Cano Real; Luís García Ortiz; María del Carmen Vergara Gómez; María Sagrario Viñuales Gálvez; Montserrat Solera Martínez; Myriam Gutiérrez Zornoza; Natalia Mª Arias Palencia; Noelia Garrido Espada; Ricardo Franquelo Gutiérrez; Ricardo Mora Rodríguez; Rosa Ana Torrijos Regidor; Úrsula García López.

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Morales, P.F., Sánchez-López, M., Moya-Martínez, P. et al. Health-related quality of life, obesity, and fitness in schoolchildren: the Cuenca study. Qual Life Res 22, 1515–1523 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0282-8

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