Socioeconomic inequalities in children's health‐related quality of life according to weight status

• Main Author: Costa, Diogo
• Publication Date: 2020
• Other Authors: Cunha, Marina, Ferreira, Cláudia, Gama, Augusta, Machado‐Rodrigues, Aristides M., Rosado‐Marques, Vítor, Mendes, Larissa L., Nogueira, Helena, Pessoa, Milene, Silva, Maria Raquel, Velasquez‐Melendez, Gustavo, Padez, Cristina
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10284/10104

Objectives: This study explores the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Portuguese children according to their weight status. Methods: A total of 1215 primary school-aged children (mean age 8.78 years) from three Portuguese districts (Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra) were assessed during 2016/2017. Father and mother's education (low, medium, high) and work status (employed, unemployed/retired) were used as SEP indicators. Self-reported HRQoL was assessed with the KIDSCREEN-27. Height and weight were objectively measured and body mass index categorized in normal, overweight or obese. Age, sex, and district-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to estimate associations between SEP indicators and HRQoL dimensions, according to weight status. Results: We found that 24.9% of children were categorized as having overweight/obesity. The mean scores of the Physical Well-Being, and School Environment dimensions of HRQoL were lower among children classified with overweight/obesity compared to children with normal weight (57.21 vs 54.11, P < .001 and 57.85 vs 56.04, P = .010, respectively). Father's education was significantly associated with all HRQoL dimensions in children with a normal weight, but the same was not observed among children presenting overweight/ obesity. An increase in the level of maternal education was also significantly associated with all HRQoL dimensions among children classified with a normal weight, and only for the School Environment dimension among children classified with overweight/obesity. Conclusions: These results suggest the presence of socioeconomic inequalities in self-reported HRQoL from early age, particularly among children with normal weight.