title: Obesity and preference-weighted quality of life of ethnically diverse middle school children: the HEALTHY study.
abstract: To date, studies examining the relation between body mass index percentile (BMI%) categories and health-related quality of life (QOL) measurements have not reported preference-weighted scores among ethnically diverse children. We report the associations between BMI% categories and preference-weighted scores among a large cohort of ethnically diverse sixth grade children who participated in the HEALTHY school-based type 2 diabetes risk factor prevention study. Health Utility Index 2 (HUI2) and Health Utility Index 3 (HUI3) and the feeling thermometer (FT) were the preference-weighted QOL instruments used to measure student's preference scores. Of 6358 consented students, 4979 (78.3%) had complete QOL, height, weight, and covariate data. Mean (SD) preference scores were 0.846 (0.160), 0.796 (0.237), and 0.806 (0.161) for the HUI2, HUI3, and FT, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, blood glucose and insulin, Tanner stage, race/ethnicity, family history of diabetes, and educational attainment, children with severe obesity (>99%) had significantly lower preference scores compared to normal weight on all three instruments (HUI2 P = 0.013; HUI3 P = 0.025; and FT P < 0.001). Obese and severe obese categories were significantly associated with lower HUI2 functional ratings in the mobility domain and with lower HUI3 functional ratings in the speech domain.
authors.affiliation: Social and Health Research Center, San Antonio, TX 78210, USA. rtrevino@sahrc.org
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Edelstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology