Association between weight control behaviors and health-related quality of life in Korean adults

Abstract

Abstract Background: Increasing evidence suggests that obesity is associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQL). HRQL is a widely used measure for assessing the degree of impairment in psychosocial and physical functions associated with disease states. This study aimed to examine the association between weight control behaviors and HRQL in Korean adults without diabetes. Methods: This study used data from the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 3,575 adults without diabetes were selected and divided into four groups according to their weight control behavior: trying to lose weight, trying to maintain weight, trying to gain weight, and not trying to control weight. HRQL was evaluated using the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The EQ-5D consists of five multiple-choice questions and one subjective health level. Health status was determined with respect to the following five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The participants were asked to choose one of the following three responses: “No problem at all,” “There are some problems,” or “There are many problems.” Results:A statistically significant difference in the EQ-5D index score was observed among the four groups before and after controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test showed that the “trying to maintain weight” group had the highest EQ-5D index score. The “trying to lose weight” group had the second highest EQ-5D index score, followed by the “not trying to control weight” group, whereas the “trying to gain weight” group had the lowest EQ-5D index score (p-value compared with the “trying to maintain weight” group = 0.053, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Participants trying to maintain their weight had the best quality of life. Individuals who are interested in their health tend to have a high quality of life. Conversely, individuals who are not interested in their health, such as those who are not trying to control their weight, tend to have a low quality of life. Furthermore, underweight individuals are against health promotion.