title: Cardiometabolic risk factors and quality of life in severely obese children and adolescents in The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of severe obesity in children and adolescents is increasing. However, little is known about cardiometabolic risk factors and quality of life of children with severe obesity.Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the demographic characteristics and the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and quality of life in severely obese children and adolescents undergoing intensive inpatient treatment for obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected between August 2009 and April 2011 on 16 children (8-13y) and 64 adolescents (13-19y) with severe obesity (SDS-BMI >= 3.0 or SDS-BMI >= 2.3 and comorbidity) participating in an RCT evaluating two intensive inpatient treatment programs for obesity. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical characteristics and two components of the EuroQol for the assessment of quality of life are described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty percent of participants in this study had at least one cardiometabolic risk factor in addition to severe obesity. Low HDL-cholesterol and hypertension were most prevalent (65.0% respectively 31.2%). The highest significant correlations were found between SDS-BMI and SDS-waist circumference, fasting plasma insulin and HOMA-IR (correlation coefficients respectively 0.80, 0.49, and 0.48). With regard to quality of life, the mean utility score of the participants was 0.79 on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0 on the EuroQol questionnaire and their mean individual valuation was 69.1 on a scale of 0 to100.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiometabolic risk factors are already highly prevalent in this group of severely obese children and adolescents. The score of 69.1 found for quality of life in this study suggests that participants experience important limitations in their quality of life. However, quality of life is not associated with the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Netherlands Trial Register (NTR1678, registered 20-Feb-2009).
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.makkes@vu.nl
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makkes
authors.forename: Carry M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Renders
authors.forename: Judith E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bosmans
authors.forename: Olga H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: van der Baan-Slootweg
authors.forename: Jacob C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Seidell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D052456:Hypoalphalipoproteinemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009426:Netherlands; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires