Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity in Sonora, Mexico

BACKGROUND: Weight excess (WE) relates to health disorders in children and adolescents and can deteriorate their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). OBJECTIVE: Longitudinally assess health-related quality of life in subjects from 7 to 17 years of age with excess weight, treated with two different schedules of medical care: comprehensive and traditional. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental design with 42 subjects and their parents or care takers, stratified by the type of intervention; group I received a comprehensive intervention, while group II, an intervention based on traditional nutritional care. The subjects were compared using the BMI-Z score for age and sex, and the validated PedsQL (R) questionnaire was used to examine their HRQol before and after an intervention for weight control. The association between BMI and HRQOL was estimated using a multiple linear regression model. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no differences in body condition and HRQoL of both groups. After the intervention, the subjects in group II had 12 points less (p = 0.012) in the PedsQL (R) score than those in group I. CONCLUSIONS: The HRQoL of subjects with the traditional intervention was perceived as deteriorated, while the comprehensive program for weight control had a positive effect on their HRQoL.