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Weight-Related Quality of Life in Spanish Obese Subjects Suitable for Bariatric Surgery is Lower Than in Their North American Counterparts: a Case–Control Study

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Abstract

Background

Obesity impairs quality of life, but the perception of the impairment could be different from one country to another. The purpose was to compare weight-related quality of life (QOL) between cohorts from Spain and North America.

Methods

A cross-sectional case–control study was performed between two populations. Four hundred Spanish and 400 North American obese subjects suitable for bariatric surgery closely matched for race, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) were included. Two non-obese control groups matched for gender, age, and BMI from each population were also evaluated (n = 400 in each group). The participants completed the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life—Lite (IWQOL—Lite) questionnaire, a measure of weight-related QOL.

Results

Spanish morbidly obese patients showed poorer QOL than their North American counterparts in physical function, sexual life, work, and total score. By contrast, Spanish non-obese control subjects reported better QOL in all domains than their North American counterparts. Women, both in Spain and North America, reported reduced QOL compared to men on the domain of self-esteem. In addition, North American women reported reduced QOL on the sexual life domain compared to men. BMI correlated negatively with all domains of QOL except for self-esteem in both national groups.

Conclusions

Spanish obese subjects suitable for bariatric surgery report poorer weight-related quality of life than their North American counterparts, and obese women, regardless of nationality, perceive a reduced quality of life compared to men.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Joan Carles Oliva from Fundació Parc Taulí for his assistance with the statistical analysis.

Conflict of interest

All of the authors (A. Caixàs, A. Lecube, MJ. Morales, A. Calañas, J. Moreiro, F. Cordido, MJ. Díaz, L. Masmiquel, B. Moreno, J. Vidal, A. Goday, JJ. Arrizabalaga, PP. García-Luna, P. Iglesias, B. Burguera, MA. Rubio, S. Monereo, R. Crosby, and RL. Kolotkin) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. S. Endocrinología y Nutrición, Corporació Sanitaria Univ. Parc Taulí, Institut de Recerca Parc Taulí (UAB), C/Parc Taulí s/n, 08208, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain

    Assumpta Caixàs

  2. H. Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

    Albert Lecube

  3. H. do Meixoeiro, Complexo Hosp. Univ. de Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

    María-José Morales

  4. H. Univ. Reina Sofía, Cordova, Spain

    Alfonso Calañas

  5. H. Comarcal Inca, I. Baleares, Spain

    José Moreiro

  6. Complexo Hosp. Univ. A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain

    Fernando Cordido

  7. H. Valle del Nalón, Asturias, Spain

    María-Jesús Díaz

  8. H. Son Llàtzer, I. Baleares, Spain

    Lluís Masmiquel

  9. H. Univ. Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain

    Basilio Moreno

  10. H. Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

    Josep Vidal

  11. H. del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

    Albert Goday

  12. H. Univ. de Álava, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

    Juan-José Arrizabalaga

  13. H. Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain

    Pedro-Pablo García-Luna

  14. H. Univ. Getafe, Madrid, Spain

    Paloma Iglesias & Susana Monereo

  15. H. Univ. Son Espases, I. Baleares, Spain

    Bartolomé Burguera

  16. H. Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain

    Miguel-Angel Rubio

  17. Biomedical Statistics, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA

    Ross D. Crosby

  18. Obesity and Quality of Life Consulting, Durham, NC, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

  19. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

Authors
  1. Assumpta Caixàs
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  2. Albert Lecube
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  3. María-José Morales
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  4. Alfonso Calañas
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  5. José Moreiro
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  6. Fernando Cordido
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  7. María-Jesús Díaz
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  8. Lluís Masmiquel
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  9. Basilio Moreno
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  10. Josep Vidal
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  11. Albert Goday
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  12. Juan-José Arrizabalaga
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  13. Pedro-Pablo García-Luna
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  14. Paloma Iglesias
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  15. Bartolomé Burguera
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  16. Miguel-Angel Rubio
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  17. Susana Monereo
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  18. Ross D. Crosby
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  19. Ronette L. Kolotkin
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Consortia

Group for the Study of Obesity of the Spanish Endocrinology and Nutrition Society (SEEN)

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Assumpta Caixàs.

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Caixàs, A., Lecube, A., Morales, MJ. et al. Weight-Related Quality of Life in Spanish Obese Subjects Suitable for Bariatric Surgery is Lower Than in Their North American Counterparts: a Case–Control Study. OBES SURG 23, 509–514 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-012-0791-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-012-0791-0

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