Overweight, Obesity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Early Adulthood

Kelly Balistreri, Bowling Green State University
Holly R. Fee, Bowling Green State University

Rising levels of obesity are a major problem in the United States. As well as affecting the early onset of disease, recent evidence suggests that obesity is associated with a loss in health related quality of life (HRQoL). The primary objective of this study is to identify the relationship between body weight and health related quality of life during young adulthood. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we utilize the "Health at 29" questions to construct physical (PCS-12) and mental (MCS-12) SF-12 measures of HQRoL. The SF-12 consists of 12 items that measure eight health domains: physical functioning, physical role limitations, general health, bodily pain, mental health, vitality, social functioning, and emotional role limitations. Multivariate linear regressions, using PCS-12 and MCS-12 as outcome variables are conducted separately for men and women.