Health Related-quality of Life in Schoolchildren with Obesity and Overweight in Medellin, Colombia

Abstract

Excess weight affects the physical and mental health of children and can affect their quality of life. Objetive: Evaluate the quality of life related to health (HRQOL) in schoolchildren with and without overweight and obesity of an educational institution of Medellin (Colombia). Methods: A descriptive crosssectional study was conducted comparative type. The sample was probabilistic school with 679 participants of both sexes aged between 10 and 14 years old. The instrument used to determine the nutritional status was ANTHRO-PLUS and measure HRQOL used the KIDSCREEN-27. Results: Participants were overweight 24%; overweight children were 19% and 4% of them were obese. Regarding school HRQOL overweight and obesity are perceived more problems physical activity and health (AF) and less social acceptance (AS). For men being overweight it affects the chances of performing the same physical activity as their peers and becoming easily mocked and intimidation. For women, the perception of HRQOL did not differ significantly had normal or overweight. Conclusions: The perception of HRQOL of school is not homogeneous, is affected by age, sex and cultural conditions around the construction of body image.