title: Factors influencing quality of life of obese students in Hangzhou, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of overweight and obese middle or high school students and identify relevant factors influencing their QOL scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  716 students were recruited from 6 middle or high schools in Hangzhou, China. The Chinese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Weight Module (YQOL-W) was self administered. The YQOL-W scores were compared among different BMI groups, gender, educational status, annual household income, parental education and recruitment community using t test or one-way analysis of variance. The independent association of these variables with QOL among overweight and obese students was examined using multivariable linear regression modeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight and obese students reported lower total scores, self, social and environment scores than their normal weight peers (all P<0.001). The QOL of overweight and obese middle and high school students was associated with BMI value, gender, educational status, parental education, and recruitment community. Girls had lower total scores, self, social and environment domain scores than boys (all P<0.001); high school students had lower total and three domain scores than middle school students (all P<0.05). Students whose fathers had higher education reported higher total scores, self and social scores than students with less educated fathers (all P<0.05). Students whose mothers had higher education reported higher environment scores than students with less educated mothers (P = 0.01). Students from migrant communities reported significantly lower total scores, self and social scores than those from rural communities (all P<0.05), but comparable scores with those from urban communities (P>0.05). Students from migrant communities reported comparable environment scores with those from rural and urban communities (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight and obesity have negative effects on students' quality of life. Therefore weight specific QOL could be included in weight reduction interventions as a relevant outcome.
authors: Institute of Social Medicine and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors: Ying-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Chen
authors: Institute of Social Medicine and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors: Hong-Mei
authors: HM
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors: Todd C
authors: TC
authors: Edwards
authors: Institute of Social Medicine and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: Institute of Social Medicine and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-Ying
authors: XY
authors: Jiang
authors: Institute of Social Medicine and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yi-Ran
authors: YR
authors: Lv
authors: Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors: Donald L
authors: DL
authors: Patrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*