Effects of a Multi-professional Intervention on Quality of Life of Women with Overweight or Obesity Post-Covid-19. A Pragmatic Trial

Abstract

Obesity is a global Non-Communicable Chronic Disease (NCD) associated with various comorbidities and a high mortality rate. This scenario has increasingly affected the female population, leading to a rise in prevalence and related health issues. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life of women with overweight or obesity and symptoms of COVID-19 using a multi-professional intervention model. This research was conducted as a parallel group and repeated measures pragmatic trial, in which 28 participants aged between 25 and 65 were allocated into two groups: experimental (intervention group) and control (non-intervention participants). The Body Mass Index (BMI) was (30.5 ± 5.45 kg/m²) in the Experimental Group, and the Control Group was (31 ± 8.2 kg/m2). The 12-Item Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire was applied to assess the quality of life in the physical and mental domains of COVID-19 survivors with different symptom severities (mild, moderate, severe) compared to the control group. At the end of the program, 28 participants finished the study (15 from the experimental group and 13 from the control group). The results indicated a significant improvement in the mental health domain only in the experimental group after the intervention period (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences in physical health were observed between the experimental and control groups (p > 0.05). Considering these findings, multi-professional actions emerge as a crucial component for enhancing the quality of life, particularly within mental health, during the 16-week intervention period.