title: Weight-related quality of life in Spanish obese subjects suitable for bariatric surgery is lower than in their North American counterparts: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity impairs quality of life, but the perception of the impairment could be different from one country to another. The purpose was to compare weight-related quality of life (QOL) between cohorts from Spain and North America.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional case-control study was performed between two populations. Four hundred Spanish and 400 North American obese subjects suitable for bariatric surgery closely matched for race, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) were included. Two non-obese control groups matched for gender, age, and BMI from each population were also evaluated (n = 400 in each group). The participants completed the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite) questionnaire, a measure of weight-related QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spanish morbidly obese patients showed poorer QOL than their North American counterparts in physical function, sexual life, work, and total score. By contrast, Spanish non-obese control subjects reported better QOL in all domains than their North American counterparts. Women, both in Spain and North America, reported reduced QOL compared to men on the domain of self-esteem. In addition, North American women reported reduced QOL on the sexual life domain compared to men. BMI correlated negatively with all domains of QOL except for self-esteem in both national groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spanish obese subjects suitable for bariatric surgery report poorer weight-related quality of life than their North American counterparts, and obese women, regardless of nationality, perceive a reduced quality of life compared to men.
authors.affiliation: S. Endocrinología y Nutrición, Corporació Sanitaria Univ. Parc Taulí, Institut de Recerca Parc Taulí (UAB), C/Parc Taulí s/n, 08208, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. acaixas@tauli.cat
authors.forename: Assumpta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caixàs
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lecube
authors.forename: María-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calañas
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreiro
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cordido
authors.forename: María-Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masmiquel
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goday
authors.forename: Juan-José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Arrizabalaga
authors.forename: Pedro-Pablo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: García-Luna
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: Bartolomé
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burguera
authors.forename: Miguel-Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monereo
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: Ronette L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kolotkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires