Abstract
Obesity is more common in individuals with mobility disability than in those without this condition. Individuals with mobility disability also have lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and are limited in their participation in society. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the body mass index (BMI) status and the association of overweight or obesity on HRQoL and participation in society among those with mobility disability in comparison to those without mobility disability. This cross-sectional study was based on a health survey conducted in Sweden in 2012 (n = 18,322; age, 18–64 years). Logistic regression with and without interaction analysis was applied. Effect modification by overweight status was significant for, moderate pain. For obesity, effect modification was seen for low general health, pain (moderate and severe), and not participating in work. BMI was higher among those with mobility disability, but no associations between overweight or obesity and HRQoL or participation in society were observed for those with mobility disability. Overweight and obesity did not add an additional burden to mobility disability, probably because mobility disability is associated with low HRQoL and low participation in society. Despite these results, population obesity prevention strategies are still needed.
Highlights
About 15% of the global adult population aged 15 years and over is estimated to live with some kind of disability, and between 2.2–3.8% have significant difficulties in functioning [1]
mobility disability (MD) had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.3 kg/m2 (SD = 6.0) compared with individuals without MD, who had a mean BMI of 25.5 kg/m2 (SD = 4.3), p < 0.001
Since both conditions are separately associated with low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [4,8,20], we expected to see an additional risk for low HRQoL in those who have both conditions
Summary
About 15% of the global adult population aged 15 years and over is estimated to live with some kind of disability, and between 2.2–3.8% have significant difficulties in functioning [1]. In Sweden, the corresponding prevalence for those aged 16–84 years with disability is 21%, and 7% have difficulties in functioning [2]. Difficulties in functioning are related to lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [4,5], which is defined as an individual or group’s perception of physical and mental health [6]. Participation or an individual’s involvement in daily life is important for people with disabilities and in the field of disability research in order to allow for example health planning [3].
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