Quality of life for obese women and men in Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Obesity is a complex, multifaceted disease that is widespread and growing in the developing world. People who are obese experience health-related quality-of-life impairments.


METHODS
We administered the SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire to 1752 obese adults and 400 normal-weight adults in Izmir City, Turkey. We then compared the mean scores of the two groups by sex in eight quality-of-life domains.


RESULTS
Differences in scores between obese women and normal-weight women were statistically significant in seven of eight SF-36 domains; differences in scores between obese men and normal-weight men were statistically significant in six of eight domains. Obese women were significantly more impaired than obese men in four of eight domains. Among obese women, 45.0% experienced a reduced quality of life, compared with only 13.2% of normal-weight women. Similarly, 41.3% of obese men experienced a reduced quality of life, compared with only 9.3% of normal-weight men.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is associated with poor levels of health, particularly poor levels of physical and social well-being.
Saraç
Fulden
F
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 5th Floor, Ege University Hospital, Bornova, Izmir, 35100 Turkey. fuldensarac@yahoo.com
Parýldar
Sebnem
S
Duman
Erdal
E
Saygýlý
Fusun
F
Tüzün
Mehmet
M
Yýlmaz
Candeger
C
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology