Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #212265
Title: Reduced quality of life in very overweight Mexican American adolescents

Author
item TYLER, CHERMAINE - BAYLOR COLLEGE MEDICINE
item JOHNSTON, CRAIG - BAYLOR COLLEGE MEDICINE
item FULLERTON, GINNY - UNIV HOUSTON
item Foreyt, John

Submitted to: Journal of Adolescent Health
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2006
Publication Date: 4/1/2007
Citation: Tyler, C., Johnston, C.A., Fullerton, G., Foreyt, J.P. 2007. Reduced quality of life in very overweight Mexican American adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health. 40(4):366-368.

Interpretive Summary: This study examined the Quality of Life (QOL) for very overweight Mexican American adolescents compared to their at-risk-for overweight and overweight counterparts. The very overweight adolescents experienced lower physical and psychosocial health QOL than the adolescents in other weight classifications. There was also support to show that physical QOL was similar between the overweight and very overweight Mexican American adolescents. Most research on adolescent QOL is conducted when weight-related distress is severe enough for the individual to seek treatment.

Technical Abstract: Quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, PedsQL) was assessed for 175 Mexican American adolescents with measured height and weight used to determine body mass index (BMI) percentile/weight classification. Main effects for weight classification were detected using One-way ANOVAs (p < .05 for total, physical, and psychosocial), with the heaviest adolescents demonstrating the lowest ratings.