Impaired health-related quality of life in preschoolers with obesity. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVES: To examine whether health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for treatment-seeking preschoolers with obesity (N = 60) differed from preschoolers in a nonclinical comparison sample (N = 457). METHODS: Parents in both samples completed the parent-proxy form of the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL). Between-group comparisons were conducted to examine differences for all scales and summary scores of the PedsQL. RESULTS: Parent proxy-reported HRQOL was significantly lower for treatment-seeking preschoolers with obesity for all scales and summary scores except school functioning. Differences on the total scale score met the criterion for being a clinically important difference. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests treatment-seeking families perceive worse HRQOL for children with obesity as early as the preschool years. Discussion of HRQOL may be a more effective strategy for health care professionals in broaching the topic of weight with parents and identifying families who may be more receptive to weight management suggestions for preschoolers.

published proceedings

  • J Pediatr Psychol

altmetric score

  • 7.3

author list (cited authors)

  • Kuhl, E. S., Rausch, J. R., Varni, J. W., & Stark, L. J.

citation count

  • 32

complete list of authors

  • Kuhl, Elizabeth S||Rausch, Joseph R||Varni, James W||Stark, Lori J

publication date

  • November 2012