title: Personal factors associated with health-related quality of life in persons with morbid obesity on treatment waiting lists in Norway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore relationships of socio-demographic variables, health behaviours, environmental characteristics and personal factors, with physical and mental health variables in persons with morbid obesity, and to compare their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores with scores from the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from adult patients within the first 2 days of commencement of a mandatory educational course. Of 185 course attendees, 142 (76.8%) volunteered to participate in the study. Valid responses on all items were recorded for 128 participants. HRQoL was measured with the Short Form 12v2 from which physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were computed. Other standardized instruments measured regular physical activity, social support, self-esteem, sense of coherence, self-efficacy and coping style.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents scored lower on all the HRQoL sub-domains compared with norms. Linear regression analyses showed that personal factors that included self-esteem, self-efficacy, sense of coherence and coping style explained 3.6% of the variance in PCS scores and 41.6% in MCS scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personal factors such as self-esteem, sense of coherence and a high approaching coping style are strongly related to mental health in obese persons.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Oslo University Hospital, Aker, Trondheimsveien 235, 0514, Oslo, Norway. Anners.Lerdal@ldh.no
authors.forename: Anners
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lerdal
authors.forename: Randi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andenæs
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bjørnsborg
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bonsaksen
authors.forename: Lisbet
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borge
authors.forename: Bjørg
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hvinden
authors.forename: May Solveig
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fagermoen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012944:Social Support; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult