Longitudinal Improvements in Health‐Related Quality of Life Among Children Enrolled in the CANadian Paediatric Weight Management Registry ( CANPWR ) Over 3 Years

Background Health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) can be impaired in children with obesity. Utilising data from the CANadian Paediatric Weight Management Registry (CANPWR), we examined changes in HRQoL up to 3‐year after enrollment in paediatric weight management programs (PWMP) and demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural and health‐related factors associated with it. Methods Data were collected from 2013 to 2020. Child (≥ 8 years) and parent‐reported HRQoL data were assessed via questionnaire (PedsQL4.0) at baseline, 6‐month, 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year post‐baseline in PWMP. Over time, HRQoL and associations with demographic, anthropometric, behavioural and health services data were examined using linear effects and mixed effects models. Findings A total of 1145 participants were included at baseline (47.8% male; age 12.4 ± 3.3 years; BMI z ‐score: 3.5 ± 1.2; 68.8% White), 793 (69%) at 1‐ and 615 (54%) at 3‐year post‐baseline. Total HRQoL improved from baseline to 6‐month and was higher at 3‐year (child‐total score: 69.9 ± 15.2 vs. 74.6 ± 14.5, p < 0.001; parent‐total score: 64.6 ± 17.4 vs. 68.6 ± 17.0; p < 0.001). Total child‐reported HRQoL was higher in boys (ß: 2.71, CI: 1.2–4.2; p < 0.01), children who identified as non‐White (ß: 2.63, CI: 0.8–4.5; p < 0.01), and those with higher household incomes (ß: 3.65, CI: 1.6–5.7; p < 0.01), independent of BMI z ‐score. Higher total child‐reported HRQoL scores were positively related to higher hours of clinic attendance (ß: 0.09 CI: 0.06–0.12; p < 0.01). In contrast, sleep disturbance, lower physical activity, and higher screen time were associated with lower total child‐reported HRQoL independent of BMI z ‐score. Conclusions Both child‐ and parent‐reported HRQoL scores improved over 3 years, and these changes were associated positively with clinic attendance and negatively with unhealthy behaviours.