RESUMO
Obesity in childhood or adolescence could affect quality of life [QOL] There is little existing information about the health-related quality of life [HRQOL] of obese children and adolescents. To assess HRQOL and psychiatric co-morbidities in obese children and adolescents; and their relationship to body mass index [BMI]. Fifty obese children and adolescents were compared to 50 healthy age-, sex- and pubertal stage-matched non obese children and adolescents serving as controls. They were assessed by child self-report and parent proxy report using a pediatric HRQOL inventory scale, also, Children Anxiety Scale and Children Depression Inventory [CDI] were assessed. Obese children had total HRQOL score: 69.1 +/- 8.4 versus 81.1 +/- 7.8 respectively, p < 0.001 and their parents had total score: 62.9 +/- 9.5 versus 74.9 +/- 7.2 respectively, p < 0.001. Obese children reported lower health-related QOL scores in all domains than controls. BMI standard deviation score [SDS] correlated negatively with total score and all domains in child self report and parent proxy report. Anxiety [mild: 8%, moderate: 38%, severe: 54%] and depression [mild: 18%, moderate: 24%, severe: 58%] were pre-existing or diagnosed in all obese children with significant positive correlations between BMISDS and each of anxiety [r = 0.81, p < 0.01] and CDI scores [r = 0.78, p = 0.01]. BMI [OR: 5.72, 95%CI: 2.57-5.9] and waist circumference [OR:2.27, 95%CI: 1.99-5.31] SDSs were independent risk factors affecting the total QOL score Obese children and adolescents have lower health-related QOL that correlated negatively with BMI, also they are more susceptible to anxiety and depression symptoms than non obese children