Impaired parent-reported quality of life in treatment-seeking children with obesity is mediated by high levels of psychopathology.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the current study was to explore psychopathology as a mediator of quality of life (QOL) in children and adolescents with obesity. The notion that psychopathology and QOL are two distinct constructs was also tested.


METHODS
A sample of treatment-seeking children and adolescents with obesity (n = 185, average age = 11.5, mean BMI SDS = 3.03) was matched to a community sample of children (n = 799, average age = 11.5). Both self- and parent-reported measures of QOL (KINDL-R) and psychopathology (CBCL/YSR) was completed.


RESULTS
Parent-reported QOL was impaired, and both self-reported and parent-reported psychopathology was elevated in children and adolescents with obesity. Psychopathology accounted for all the variance of the effect of obesity on parent-reported QOL. The distinction between QOL and psychopathology was supported through confirmatory factor analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Impaired parent-reported QOL in children and adolescents with obesity was attributable to their elevated levels of psychopathology.
Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dragvoll, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. silje.steinsbekk@svt.ntnu.no
Silje
S
Steinsbekk
Thomas
T
Jozefiak
Rønnaug
R
Ødegård
Lars
L
Wichstrøm
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011599:Psychopathology; D011788:Quality of Life