title: Body weight and health-related quality of life in Catalonia, Spain.
abstract: Obesity poses important burdens not only on the individuals whose quality of life is reduced but on national welfare systems that have to face growing premature mortality rates, increase healthcare expenditures to treat obesity-related diseases, and earmark vast amounts of healthcare resources for prevention. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the relationship between excess body weight and different dimensions of health-related quality of life for people 16 years and older and to identify the health dimensions most affected by excess weight. We have drawn data from the Catalonia Health Survey (2006). Our results reveal a relationship between excess weight and health-related quality of life. Even after controlling for socio-economic status and objective health variables, excess weight is shown to have a significant negative effect on health-related quality of life. Subjects responses revealed that the negative effect of excess weight was felt the strongest in the health-related quality of life dimensions of mobility and pain/discomfort. Our results indicate there are important differences among gender and age groups. Women and older people are more likely to suffer from the negative consequences of excess weight.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análisis Económico, CIBER en Salud Pública y Epidemiología-CIBERESP and Red temática de investigación cooperativa en envejecimiento y fragilidad (RETICEF), Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales de Toledo-Análisis Económico y Finanzas, Universidad de Castilla La-Mancha, Cobertizo de San Pedro Mártir s/n. 45071, Toledo, Spain. juan.olivamoreno@uclm.es
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oliva-Moreno
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil-Lacruz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult