Health-Related Quality of Life of Overweight and Obese Children

To determine relationships between weight and health-related QOL reported by parent-proxy and child self-report in a population sample of elementary school children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional data collected in 2000 within the Health of Young Victorians Study, a longitudinal cohort study commenced in 1997. Individuals were recruited via a random 2-stage sampling design from primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Of the 1943 children in the original cohort, 1569 (80.8%) were resurveyed 3 years later at a mean age of 10.4 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health-related QOL using the PedsQL 4.0 survey completed by both parent-proxy and by child self-report. Summary scores for children's total, physical, and psychosocial health and subscale scores for emotional, social, and school functioning were compared by weight category based on International Obesity Task Force cut points.

Of 1456 participants, 1099 (75.5%) children were classified as not overweight; 294 (20.2%) overweight; and 63 (4.3%) obese. Parent-proxy and child self-reported PedsQL scores decreased with increasing child weight. The parent-proxy total PedsQL mean (SD) score for children who were not overweight was 83.1 (12.5); overweight, 80.0 (13.6); and obese, 75.0 (14.5); P