Health-related quality of life in severely and morbidly obese patients waiting for bariatric surgery in Finland

Abstract

Background: Important outcome measurements in bariatric surgery include the improvement or resolvement of medical comorbid conditions caused by obesity, and the possible changes in quality of life. The health-related quality of life (HRQ oL) among Finnish obese subjects awaiting bariatric surgery has not previously been compared to age- and gender-standardized general population. Methods: The HRQ oL in 75 obese subjects waiting for bariatric surgery was assessed by the generic 15D instrument. The resulting 15D profile and single index score were compared to those of a sample of age- and gender-standardized general population (n = 4955). Results: The patients were significantly worse off than the age- and gender-standardized general population on 11 of the 15 dimensions. The mean total 15D score among patients scheduled for bariatric surgery was 0.844 compared to 0.934 in the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The Finnish patients awaiting bariatric surgery suffer from a very poor HRQoL compared with age- and gender-standardized general population.