Effects of bodyweight on health‐related quality of life in school‐aged children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of bodyweight on health-related quality of life (QOL) in children. METHODS: A questionnaire to assess health-related QOL was developed and completed by 242 primary school children and 180 junior high school students in Morioka, Japan. Subjects were classified by obesity index into three groups as follows: underweight, </=-20% obesity index (n = 13); normal weight, between +20% and -20% (n = 354); and overweight, >/=+20% (n = 55). The overall QOL score and the score of each domain were compared among the three groups and in each gender. RESULTS: Overall QOL scores did not differ significantly among the three groups. The scores for the domain of 'strength, diligence and self-esteem' in the underweight and overweight groups were significantly lower than those for the normal-weight group overall and for girls (P < 0.01). Scores for the 'school' domain in the underweight group were significantly lower than those for the overweight group overall and for boys (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children, except those of normal bodyweight, have low scores in some domains of health-related QOL, suggesting the importance of considering the effects of bodyweight on QOL in programs aimed at further understanding under- or overweight children and adolescents.