Self-reported disability in adults with severe obesity

I. Kyrou*, G. Osei-Assibey, N. Williams, R. Thomas, L. Halder, S. Taheri, P. Saravanan, S. Kumar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Self-reported disability in performing daily life activities was assessed in adults with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). 262 participants were recruited into three BMI groups: Group I: 35-39.99 kg/m2; Group II: 40-44.99 kg/m2; Group III: ≥45.0 kg/m2. Progressively increasing HAQ scores were documented with higher BMI; Group I HAQ score: 0.125 (median) (range: 0-1.75); Group II HAQ score: 0.375 (0-2.5); Group III HAQ score: 0.75 (0-2.65) (Group III versus II P < 0.001; Group III versus I P < 0.001; Group II versus I P = 0.004). HAQ score strongly correlated with BMI and age. Nearly three-fourths of the study participants reported some degree of disability (HAQ score > 0). The prevalence of this degree of disability increased with increasing BMI and age. It also correlated to type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and clinical depression, but not to gender. Our data suggest that severe obesity is associated with self-reported disability in performing common daily life activities, with increasing degree of disability as BMI increases over 35 kg/m2. Functional assessment is crucial in obesity management, and establishing the disability profiles of obese patients is integral to both meet the specific healthcare needs of individuals and develop evidence-based public health programs, interventions, and priorities.

Original languageEnglish
Article number918402
JournalJournal of Obesity
Volume2011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Oct 2011

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2011 I. Kyrou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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