Health-related quality of life among 13–14 year old adolescents with overweight−a mixed methods approach

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are public concerns with risk of adverse health outcomes. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is lower in adolescents than children in general. An increase in body mass index (BMI) is associated with a decrease in HRQoL. The purpose of this study was to measure and explore the HRQoL among adolescents with overweight or obesity who had participated in an intervention study, Young & Active, with the aim of increasing physical activity (PA), reducing BMI and promoting HRQoL. Methods: Mixed methods, with a convergent design, were used to investigate how different methodological approaches could expand our understanding of the adolescents' HRQoL. Quantitative post-intervention data on HRQoL were collected among the 84 intervention participants, aged 13-14 years, using the KIDSCREEN 52 questionnaire. The data were compared with a Norwegian reference population of 244 individuals, and analysed using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 adolescents from the intervention. A directed approach to content analysis was adopted, using the ten sub-scales from KIDSCREEN 52. Results: HRQoL in the intervention sample was significantly reduced on the sub-scale of physical well-being compared to the reference population. The reference population scored significantly lower than the intervention sample on the sub-scale of parent relation and home life. No significant differences were found on the other subscales. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings on the sub-scale of physical well-being, but showed that perceptions of fitness, energy level or health could vary. Regarding parent relations, the interviewees extended this to include relationships to other family members as equally important. Most of the interviewees expressed a negative view of their bodies, but not their clothing or accessories. This may explain why no statistically significant differences were found on these aspects in the results from the KIDSCREEN questionnaire. Conclusion: The use of the KIDSCREEN 52 instrument gave important indications about the adolescents' HRQoL and need for additional follow up. The qualitative data provided an in-depth understanding that nuanced the findings and widened our knowledge of the adolescents HRQoL. Combining methods enabled a comprehensive approach to research on HRQoL.

Relationship between Weight Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Sample of Early Adolescents from Central and Northern Italy: A Cross-Sectional Study of the AVATAR Project Participants

“…The starting point of this cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of early adolescent students was that Italian girl adolescents, considering the single variables of HRQoL, had lower scores in psychological dimensions, in line with previous evidence obtained in a European sample, in which boys reported higher physical appearance, self-esteem, and mood dimensions [11,12,[18][19][20][21][22]. When we considered HRQoL as a function of the different BMI categories, we observed that in females, this relationship was much closer than that found in males.…”

Physical activity domains, levels, and health-related quality of life among Nigerian adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

“…This finding confirms previous research. 21 , 22 Future studies are required to clarify gender discrepancies in HRQoL and explore the relationship between gender and HRQoL in Nigerian adolescents in the postpandemic era.…”

“…Such factors include personal demographic factors such as age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). 21 , 22 However, limited or no evidence exists on the relationship among PA domains, levels, HRQoL, and BMI among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. 23 – 25 …”

“…Such factors include personal demographic factors such as age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). 21,22 However, limited or no evidence exists on the relationship among PA domains, levels, HRQoL, and BMI among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. [23][24][25] The present study investigated PA domains, levels, and HRQoL among in-school adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown.…”

Quality of life, health, eating habits and physical development of middle school adolescents in the Świetokrzyskie

“…The physical, mental, social, psychological and behavioural aspects of well-being were distinguished as components. Emphasis was placed on the multidimensional nature of the quality of life, as well as the subjective evaluation of one's own well-being [1,6,[11][12][13][14][15].…”