:: Volume 8, Issue 1 (Spring 2013) ::
Iranian J Nutr Sci Food Technol 2013, 8(1): 159-166 Back to browse issues page
Comparison of the quality of life of overweight and obese with normal-weight primary school children in grades 1 and 2 in Shoushtar, Iran
M Baharizadeh , M Abdollahi * , B Mohammadpour , F Zaeri
Abstract:   (8389 Views)
Background and Objective: The prevalence of overweight and obesity, major risk factors for several chronic disease of public health importance, is increasing rapidly worldwide. Evidence from many studies indicates that obesity substantially increases the risk of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, and breast cancer and impairs quality of life. The aim of this study was to compare quality of life among overweight and obese children with that of healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Based on the WHO reference, a group of grades 1- and 2-primary school children in Shooshtar, Iran, with a body mass index (BMI) +1SD were selected by 2-stage cluster sampling (n =170) as the case group. Another 170 school children with a normal weight, matched for age and sex, served as control. Data were collected using a general characteristics questionnaire and the 23-item Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) questionnaire. Results: Physical, psychosocial and total functioning scores of the case group were significantly lower compared to the respective control values (P<0.001). In addition, the psychosocial functioning score of the case girls was lower than that of the case boys, but the difference was not statitically significant. In both the case and control groups (both sexes) the highest and lowest scores were for physical and psychological functioning, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight one again the importance of considering the different dimensions of quality of life of children suffering from overweight or obesity. Keywords: Quality of life, School children, Obesity, Overweight
Keywords: Quality of life, School children, Obesity, Overweight
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Article type: Research | Subject: nutrition
Received: 2013/08/6 | Published: 2013/05/15


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Volume 8, Issue 1 (Spring 2013) Back to browse issues page