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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #212542

Title: Quality of life in overweight Mexican American children

Author
item FULLERTON, G - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item TYLER, C - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item JOHNSTON, C - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item EL-MUBASHER, A - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item CARVALHO, S - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item VOLDING, D - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item REEVES, R - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item Foreyt, John

Submitted to: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/29/2006
Publication Date: 11/29/2006
Citation: Fullerton, G., Tyler, C., Johnston, C.A., El-Mubasher, A.A., Carvalho, S.M., Volding, D.C., Reeves, R., Foreyt, J.P. 2006. Quality of life in overweight Mexican American children [abstract]. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 13(Supplement):233-234.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Childhood overweight is a serious health problem occurring in especially high rates among Mexican Americans. Evidence suggests that health-related quality of life (QOL) of very overweight children is lower than that of normal-weight children. However, little is known about the QOL of overweight Mexican American children. The current study examined QOL in overweight (BMI>95th %ile) Mexican American children living in Houston, Texas. It was hypothesized that QOL would decrease as BMI standardized for age and gender (zBMI) increased. Child self-report was obtained on 74 overweight Mexican American children between the ages of 11 and 14, using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Results showed significant negative correlations between zBMI and QOL scores, indicating that QOL decreased as zBMI increased. Findings from linear regression analyses revealed that the overweight children's zBMI scores accounted for a significant amount of variance in overall (R2=.076, p<.05) and psychosocial (R2=.056, p<.05) QOL domains. These findings indicated that QOL in overweight Mexican American children decreased as zBMI increased. There appears to be a dose-response relationship between zBMI and QOL among these overweight Mexician American children, such that the heavier a child is, the lower the QOL. The present findings provide valuable information regarding QOL in overweight Mexican American children. It is hoped that weight management programs may be effective in improving children's QOL, even with minor weight decreases.