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Physical activity, quality of life, and weight status in overweight children

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Abstract

Purpose

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between health quality of life, physical activity, and overweight status in children aged 8–12 years old.

Study participants

Participants (n = 177 overweight boys and girls) completed a validated quality of life (QOL) inventory and wore an accelerometer to objectively measure physical activity for 1 week.

Methods

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s standardized growth charts were used to categorize participants as overweight (M BMI% = 95.6) or obese status (M BMI% = 99.0) while accelerometer data was used to categorize participants as meeting or not meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity.

Results

Psychosocial, physical, and total QOL (all P < 0.05) were significantly lower for obese when compared to overweight participants. Less physically active children, irrespective of weight status, had significantly lower psychosocial and total QOL (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Physical activity promotion in overweight and obese children may have additional benefits to weight management that include improving QOL.

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Abbreviations

QOL:

Quality of life

KPCO:

Kaiser Permanente Colorado

BMI:

Body mass index

PEDS QL:

The pediatric quality of life inventory 4.0

MET:

Metabolic equivalent

ANOVA:

Analyses of variance

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Garfield Memorial Fund, Project no. 50–227, an internal funding mechanism through Kaiser Permanente Health Plans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Boulder, USA

    Jo Ann Shoup, Michelle Gattshall, Padma Dandamudi & Paul Estabrooks

  2. Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, & Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 338 Wallace Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Paul Estabrooks

Authors
  1. Jo Ann Shoup
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  2. Michelle Gattshall
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  3. Padma Dandamudi
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  4. Paul Estabrooks
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Estabrooks.

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Shoup, J.A., Gattshall, M., Dandamudi, P. et al. Physical activity, quality of life, and weight status in overweight children. Qual Life Res 17, 407–412 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9312-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9312-y

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