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Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on April 8, 2005
Journal of Public Health 2005 27(2):156-164; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdi025
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© The Author 2005, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved.

The impact of obesity on health-related quality-of-life in the general adult US population



Haomiao Jia, PhD
Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1550 College Street, Macon, GA 31207, USA


Erica I. Lubetkin, MD, MPH
Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education/CUNY Medical School, New York, NY, USA

Address correspondence Haomiao Jia. E-mail: haomia{at}yahoo.com

Background The US Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended screening all adult patients for obesity due in part to the strong association between obesity and numerous chronic diseases. However, how obesity affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQL), particularly for persons without any chronic diseases, is less clear.

Methods The relationship between obesity and HRQL was examined using data from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Respondents ≥18 years were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, class I obesity, and class II obesity based on their BMI. HRQL was measured by the 12-item Short Form physical and mental summary scores (PCS-12 and MCS-12, respectively) and EuroQol EQ-5D index and visual analogue scale (EQ VAS). The impact of obesity on HRQL was examined through multivariate regression, adjusting for sociodemographics and disease status.

Results After adjustment, HRQL decreased with increasing level of obesity. Compared to normal weight respondents, persons with severe obesity had significantly lower scores with scores on the PCS-12, MCS-12, EQ-5D index, and EQ VAS being 4.0, 1.1, 0.073, and 4.8 points lower, respectively. Such decrements of HRQL for severe obesity were similar to the decrements seen for diabetes or hypertension. Persons with moderate obesity or who were overweight also had significantly lower HRQL scores, particularly on the PCS-12 and EQ-5D index. Underweight persons also had lower MCS-12 and EQ VAS scores.

Conclusions Persons with obesity had significantly lower HRQL than those who were normal weight and such lower scores were seen even for persons without chronic diseases known to be linked to obesity.

Keywords: BMI, health-related quality-of-life, MEPS, obesity


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