Health-Related Quality of Life of Obese and Normal-Weight Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Abeokuta, Nigeria
Virginia Guvoeke Obianuju, Adekunle Adediran SaheedAbstract
Background:
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a comprehensive assessment of the physical, mental and social well-being of individuals. It can be impacted negatively by obesity. Some studies in Nigeria suggest a high prevalence of adolescent obesity and its attendant medical consequences. However, the effect of obesity on the HRQoL has not been explored amongst adolescents in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Materials and Methods:
A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out amongst 1010 secondary school students in Abeokuta using a multi-stage sampling method. The participants were categorised into obese and normal-weight groups based on their body mass index using the World Health Organisation charts. The HRQoL was assessed using a self-administered Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. The Mann–Whitney
Results:
The scores of the male obese participants in the social and school functioning domains were significantly higher than those of their normal-weight counterparts [85.0 (65.0–100.0) vs. 75.0 (55.0–100.0);
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates better HRQoL scores in the obese adolescents than in their normal-weight counterparts in Abeokuta.